I Need You
by AnimeWolfGirl9
Summary: "But that doesn't mean that I don't need you!" Gohan said as he looked up into the sky. If only he knew how much those words meant. FULL SUMMARY INSIDE
1. Wandering Thoughts

Hello AnimeWolfGirl9 here! If you have chosen to even read this far into my first fanfiction, then I thank you. Since this is my first (and so far, but hopefully not) fanfiction, please mind my ability to "put into words" what this fanfiction is. This fanfiction starts eight days before the Cell Games (highlighting the main events leading up to it), includes the Cell Games, and the three years after. Hopefully I will be able to improve in that as this story continues. I will have to say though that this story will get better as it continues. Once again, thank you and I hope you enjoy the first chapter of "I Need You"!

Full Summary: "_But that doesn't mean that I don't need you" Gohan said as he stared at the sky. If only he knew how much those words meant..._

_Gohan is getting over the death of his father after the Cell Games. He is trying to also not disappoint his mother and to try raising his younger brother. Sometimes anger and grief can only go so far..._

Disclaimer: **I do not own Dragon Ball Z or any of its other content.**

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><p><span>Chapter 1: Wandering Thoughts<span>

A gentle breeze was blowing and the sun was shining brightly in the midafternoon wake. A boy was flying just above the bright green trees. He had spikey blonde hair and teal colored eyes. The boy stopped flying and looked around him, taking in the mountains and the seemingly endless forest surrounding him.

_This forest just seems to have no end, the boy thought with worry, I need to hurry and find another town soon. Mom won't be happy if I keep her waiting._

The boy closed his eyes, as the wind blew threw his hair, and thought back to what had happened earlier that morning.

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><p>"<em>Gohan," a woman called as she searched through the house for her son. The woman had black eyes and her black hair was sitting neatly on top of her head. As the woman rounded the corner, Gohan came out of his room. He had currently been studying when his mom had called.<em>

This must be important if mom had to interrupt my studying, _the boy thought as he walked into the hallway._

_ "Gohan, I would like you to go and pick up some things from the store," the woman said as she stared at her son, "I will give you the list and could you go pick them up, please?"_

_ Gohan knew that his mom's last statement was not a plea, but more like a demand. He figured he should be studying, but he didn't want to upset his mom. If there was one thing that Gohan and his dad Goku were afraid of, it was Son Chi-Chi's wrath. Gohan nodded to signal that he understood and, as his mother started to walk toward the kitchen, followed. His mom walked over to the kitchen counter and took a neatly folded piece of paper off the countertop. She placed it in Gohan's outstretched hand, and as Gohan turned to leave, he saw his dad and Krillin in the living room._

_ "Daddy I'm going to go for a fly," Gohan stated as he walked into the room. His father looked back at him and smiled._

_ "Ok have fun," Goku said as he stifled a yawn. Krillin just smiled and shook his head at Goku's laziness. Gohan stared into his dad's teal eyes and then started for the door. When he got outside, he used his Ki to levitate himself into the air, and flew off into the distance._

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><p>Gohan sighed as he opened his eyes again; the light from the sun was too bright at the moment since his sudden change in darkness back to light from having his eyes closed. His teal eyes blinked a couple of times and then started to scan the horizon.<p>

He started to fly in the direction he started before he had stopped, but his thoughts were still occupying most of his attention. It had been two days since Cell, an android created by Dr. Gero of the Red Ribbon Army, had announced that he was holding a tournament ten, now currently eight, days from then. Gohan and his father had been in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber at the time the tournament was announced, training to master their Super Saiyan forms; but they had quickly been informed by the rest of the Z fighters when their training was done. Afterwards, Goku had said that they would have three days of rest, then three days of training, and then three more days of rest. The "Cell Games", as the Z fighters were calling the tournament, was where fighters around the world came to challenge their strength against Cell. If the Z fighters lost, then Cell was going to destroy the Earth.

Gohan shivered, not because of the wind, but almost because of the fear and dread he felt inside. Cell had been strong in his first two forms, and knowing that he had only gotten stronger was frightening for Gohan. It almost reminded him of when they had gone to Namek to wish their friends back to life after the Saiyans attacked; only to be confronted by Frieza whose power level, although hidden for most of the time, was scary because no one knew just how powerful Frieza was. That was what scared Gohan the most: the unknown.

Gohan shook his head to get rid of the thoughts from that time. That was when he was only a five year old. He was almost eleven now; but still, Gohan was sometimes plagued with nightmares where he couldn't protect anyone close to him. This thought brought Gohan back to the Cell Games. Gohan had always known that his father could overcome any obstacle, but when Goku had measured his power level to Cell's, he said that Cell would probably beat him. That had also scared Gohan, because for once in his life he wasn't sure if they could win this fight. Another thing that bothered Gohan was that his dad was acting all calm that he might not be able to beat Cell. Gohan was confused on the most part why his dad would be acting so calm when the world was, literally, at stake.

He had asked his dad if they could actually beat Cell, but Goku had told him not to worry. Also, Gohan was puzzled about something else; while at Korin's Tower, Korin had asked Goku if he had discovered a secret while in the Time Chamber, and he had said yes. Gohan didn't know when his father had the time to discover something because he had been with him the whole time.

Gohan inwardly sighed as he continued to fly.

_How can daddy be so calm? He says that he might not be able to beat Cell, and he's acting like everything's ok. Oh well, guess I should just trust him on this._

Gohan then started to see something in the distance. He started to fly faster, hoping that this time it was a city. As he got closer, Gohan saw that it was a small village. Sitting on a hill near the village, he saw that there was a big dome shaped object.

_I hope someone here can help, Gohan thought, this is the fourth village I have been too. Most of them have been empty though. Cell must have really scared people._

As he finished thinking, Gohan saw something in the corner of his eye. A normal human wouldn't have been able to see it, but since Gohan was half saiyan, he could see it since he had better vision. He flew down closer to the tree tops; the green leaves tickling his skin, and saw that what he saw was a girl. The girl looked to be around the age of ten, with brown eyes and hair that was tied into two braids at the sides of her head.

Gohan looked closer and saw that the girl was trying to get an apple at the edge of a branch, straying dangerously close to the river below. Gohan continued to watch and saw that the branch was starting to bend under the girl's weight. He was going to call out and tell the girl about the bending branch when the tree limb separated from its trunk and fell into the water, the girl following close behind.

_I have to help her,_ Gohan thought desperately as he saw the girl struggling in the water.

He flew down to where she was struggling and picked her up out of the river. He landed a few feet away from the river and put the girl down so that she could stand.

"Are you ok?" Gohan asked, still holding onto the girl to make sure that she was steady. He saw her look down and push away from him, the quick motion sending a light wind to move his golden hair.

"You meanie!" the girl spat as she glared at Gohan. She then stuck her tongue out at him and started to run away. "Go back to where you came from!"

_Well I certainly can't do that_, Gohan thought as he watched her run into the forest. Then he got confused.

_What did I do to make her so mad?_

Gohan decided to forget the instance for the time being and, lifting off into the sky, started heading for the village nearby.

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><p>So how did you like the first chapter? I hope this doesn't seem too unlively for you in the beginning. This chapter is mostly based around the episode "A Girl Named Lime". I have watched it several times and I would recommend it. Later on in this story though, it does get darker, so if you don't like that kind of element in a fanfiction, you might want to consider either skipping it or something else. Although, it won't be as descriptive because I am not as good of a writer yet. Also, I have to say that this is not a "Gohan death" fanfiction, so if you were only reading this for that reason, I suggest you might be a bit disappointed. Sorry! Either way, please read and review. I do take constructive criticism, but please no flames since this is my first fanfiction and I am still trying to improve on it. Thanks!<p>

- AnimeWolfGirl9


	2. Sugar and Spice

I have to thank everyone who reviewed the first chapter and I hope for more involvement and enjoyment of this fanfiction. Thanks!

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><p><span>Chapter 2: Sugar and Spice<span>

Gohan looked at the village as he descended from the sky. He saw that the town had small houses and shops, signaling it to be an older village.

_I wonder where everyone is, Gohan thought, I hope Cell didn't scare them away from here like the other towns._

Gohan looked again at the old buildings and started to walk towards one. He stopped outside the shop and heard people inside. When he went in through the door, he saw an old man with two other younger people arguing with him. As Gohan stood there, he heard about how the two other people were apparently trying to buy the store from the old man, and something about the Barbone family owning the shelter on the hill.

Suddenly the old man noticed Gohan and asked what he needed. As Gohan started to read off the list his mom gave him, the two younger people got irritated. The shorter one started to push off containers from the shelves when Gohan heard a familiar voice.

"Run everybody, Cell's here!" he heard a girl shout multiple times. The two men ran out of the shop, yelling that they were right that the old man should have sold his store.

_What why is Cell here? Gohan thought frantically, the tournament is eight days away, why would he be here?_

Suddenly, Gohan saw a girl walk in through the door with her back turned away from them. When she turned around, Gohan saw that it was the girl he had saved earlier. She pointed at him, surprised, when the old man asked:

"Now Miss Lime, where is Cell?" Gohan turned around and looked at the old man; apparently he was the girl's grandpa. He turned back around when he heard the girl known as Lime start to laugh sheepishly. The old man lead Lime outside, and Gohan put his list down on the counter to pick up for later. When he came outside, he saw that Lime's grandpa was chopping wood, while Lime was explaining that she had told everyone that Cell was around to scare the two men out of the shop. Apparently the old man saw Gohan and he started into an explanation.

"Cell came here when he was in his weaker form, still gathering energy from his victims," Lime's grandfather explained as he continued to chop the wood, "that is why everyone is scared of Cell. We lost a lot of people that day. Lime, a few of the villagers, and myself were able to escape being absorbed by hiding under a building. Sadly, a lot of other people, including Lime's parents, were taken by Cell and used to fuel his transformation."

Gohan looked over sadly at Lime and saw that she was on the verge of tears.

_How sad, Gohan thought as he stared at the shelter, I don't know what I would do if I lost my mom and daddy. I wish I could have done something to help._

Suddenly the old man let out a grunt of pain as he held his back.

"Oh grandpa, it's your back again. Why can't I chop the wood?" Lime asked as she looked at her grandpa with worry.

"You're not old enough yet Lime. Also, I don't want you to get hurt." Her grandpa explained.

"I could help," Gohan started without even thinking, "that is, if that's ok with you."

Lime's grandfather looked over at him and narrowed his eyes. At first, Gohan started to get worried, thinking that the older man would find offense in his offer of help. Gohan then started to look back at the man, into his searching eyes. He was kind of creeped out, since it seemed like the man was looking into his soul, trying to find something. Suddenly, Lime's grandpa smiled and said,

"Why of course you can help. Thank you."

Gohan went over to the unchopped wood pile and picked up three logs. He threw them into the air, took a fighting stance, and concentrated. Before he could cut the wood, Gohan heard Lime say,

"Hey silly, aren't you forgetting something?"

Gohan looked over at her and then felt an extremely high amount of pain in his head as all three logs fell on his head. He crouched down to the ground, clutching his head, when he heard Lime talk to him again.

"You probably need this," she said as she held out the axe, smiling.

_Ouch that hurt, Gohan thought as he took the axe, was that supposed to be some kind of joke?_

Gohan then proceeded to chop the wood, while the old man went back into the shop to clean up the mess that the two shelter men had made and to make lunch. Lime stayed out and watched him chop all the wood. When he was done, Gohan heard Lime whisper,

"Hey Gohan, do you want to go find some apples in the forest?"

Gohan looked over at where she was standing and smiled as he nodded his head. They both walked to the edge of the town and into the forest; Gohan could have easily flown, but he knew that Lime couldn't so he just walked with her. They stopped at a tree that had lots of bright red apples on it and sat down. Gohan knew they were a good distance away from the river since, even with his enhanced hearing, he could barely hear the sound of the rushing water. They sat under the tree eating apples for a while, and then Gohan started to tell her about fighting in the tournament. She sat and listened till he was done explaining and then said,

"I think you're too sweet to fight."

"You think so?" Gohan asked as a squirrel jumped onto his shoulder. Lime nodded, her braids moving with the slight nod,

"Yeah I know so. Maybe you could ask my grandpa for some fighting techniques."

Gohan nodded and then sat up as he heard a sound in the distance. He looked in the direction it came from and then looked at Lime.

"What was that?" he asked.

"Oh that must be the opening of the shelter. Let's go see," she said as she stood up and looked at Gohan. He stood up and followed Lime through the forest. When they came to a clearing, Gohan saw the shelter was there, along with lots of people. A short man with black hair was talking on a podium. He said something about the shelter when Lime whispered,

"Yeah right, this will show them," and then she started to yell, "Run everybody, Cell's here!"

"What are you doing?" Gohan asked frantically as he started to freak out. If this was another idea of a joke, Gohan didn't like it at all. He saw all the people running towards the shelter, Mr. Barbone getting in first; and then saw that the doors closed before anyone else could get in. While the people tried to get into the shelter, Gohan saw the two men from earlier come over and pointed guns at them. The taller one went into the crowd and yelled,

"Don't worry people. It was just a joke played by a kid"

They were then brought to the short man who had been on the podium, Mr. Barbone. He was saying how much trouble Lime was in when Gohan stepped forward.

"I know that my friend here did something wrong, and we're sorry, but what you did was wrong too." Gohan said to Mr. Barbone. That appeared to infuriate the man because he shouted for his men to silence Gohan.

_I am going to be in so much trouble with mom when she finds out, Gohan thought as he got into a fighting stance._

Before the fight could start, Gohan looked over and saw Lime's grandfather in a fighting stance. Gohan wanted to intervene after he had told him to stay out of the villagers' fight, but Gohan knew that it would be disrespectful to disobey him. Lime's grandfather easily took out the men, while another fighter stood up to take their place: Mercenary Tao. Gohan had heard many stories of Mercenary Tao from his dad since his father fought in the Red Ribbon Army. Mercenary Tao now looked like his normal self, except he looked like he had been turned into a cyborg.

Lime's grandfather and Mercenary Tao continued to fight, but after a while, the former Red Ribbon Army general was gaining on the old man. Just as Mercenary Tao was going to finish off Lime's grandfather with a Dodon Ray, Gohan stepped in front of the blast before it could hit the old man. When the light cleared, everyone saw Gohan standing in front of Lime's grandfather, not even fazed.

"What happened?" Mercenary Tao asked as he looked at Gohan.

"I happened," Gohan stated as he raised his Ki, yellow light surrounding him in a blaze. General Tao looked like he was going to fire another blast, but then he stopped as he stared at Gohan.

"Young man, what is your name?" he asked.

"It's Gohan," Gohan stated as he looked at the former general.

"Oh that's good. I thought you were some kid named Goku." He said as he raised his hand again.

"You're close, I'm his son," Gohan said as Mercenary Tao looked like he just saw a ghost. Gohan saw General Tao whisper something to Mr. Barbone and then he, literally, flew away on a tree.

_Ha, Gohan thought, he probably remembered the beating daddy gave him. Although that blast was weak, I have to give him a few points for an awesome way to leave a scene when you're panicked._

Gohan then looked around and saw that the people were looking angrily at Mr. Barbone. He came up to Gohan and pleaded for him to help, saying that he would do anything. Gohan just started smiling and then fired a Ki blast at the shelter, blowing it up in the process. Mr. Barbone's face turned from relief to pure terror. Gohan turned to address the crowd.

_For once I am glad that my mom taught me how to talk in front of large groups of people, Gohan thought as he took a deep breath._

"Hi everyone, my name is Gohan. Instead of fearing for the worst, I think that we should hope for the best. Cell isn't unbeatable. Haven't you heard that the bigger they are, the harder they fall?"

Gohan was about to continue his speech when he heard someone say his name.

"Daddy?" Gohan said in astonishment as he saw his dad flying towards the ground. "What are you doing here?"

"Making sure you're ok. And aren't you supposed to be getting something?" Goku asked as he looked at his son.

"Oops, I forgot," Gohan said as he went to turn around.

"No you didn't." Lime said as she handed a bag to Gohan. They both smiled at each other before Gohan looked back over at his dad. He saw his father and Lime's grandfather talking to each other. Then he saw Goku look over at him, and they both said their goodbyes to Lime and her grandfather. They both took to the sky and flew back in the direction of their home, promising to visit again.

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><p>I hope you all enjoyed the second chapter. Sorry that this was another summary of an episode, but it is important for the story later on. Personally, I thought this chapter was better than the first. Please tell me what you thought by R&amp;R.<p>

P.S. - Next chapter will have some more important factors to the fanfiction will be revealed. Until next time!

-AnimeWolfGirl9


	3. Eventful Week and Birthday Surprises

Thanks for everyone who has been reviewing and following this fanfiction faithfully! Also, thanks for the constructive criticism. I will try and apply it the best I can. Hope you enjoy this next chaper!

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><p><span>Chapter 3: Eventful Week and Birthday Surprises<span>

After Gohan had gotten back to their house with his dad, he had gotten a big lecture about how he shouldn't have been late, and how that had to apply to him growing up to be a scholar.

_But I don't want to be a scholar, it sounds boring, _Gohan thought_, it would be fun to protect the world like dad._

But of course, Gohan would never tell that to his mother, for fear of getting the ancient "Frying Pan of Doom". After they had eaten dinner (and it had to be a very big dinner, enough to feed a human and two saiyans), Gohan had gotten ready for bed. He still couldn't help worrying about the Cell Games and the dreams he had in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber.

_Still daddy told me not to worry about the tournament, but I can't shake the feeling that he is hiding something from me. I also wonder what daddy and Lime's grandpa were talking about. I guess if they wanted me to know, they would have told me. I hope that we can visit Lime again. We did promise that we would visit again, so maybe after the Cell Games, daddy and I could go visit them again, _Gohan thought as he lay in his bed_._

Gohan had a hard time falling asleep. He had a lot going on in his mind, so when he would try and go to sleep, his mind would come up with something else to worry him about. When Gohan did sleep, he was plagued with the same nightmares again and again about his friends and family dying. Gohan knew that he would not go get his parents to worry them about his dreams, part of the reason being that he wasn't a little kid anymore.

Gohan looked at the clock beside his bed and saw that it was only one in the morning. He sighed as he got up out of bed. He didn't need to turn on a light since his super saiyan form cast some light for him to see with. He walked over to the desk near his window, the moonlight illuminating the contents on top. As Gohan walked over to the desk, he suddenly felt the room spin around him. He gripped onto the chair as his vision started to cloud. He sat down on the ground and clutched his head as an agonizing pain came over him. There was a flash of light and then Gohan saw pictures of his dad flash through his head. Gohan sat on the ground until he couldn't feel the pain anymore.

_What was that? It felt like my head just exploded, _Gohan thought_, and why did I just see dad?_

He shook his head and then stood up, using the chair for balance. Gohan sat down in the chair and opened the top drawer of the desk. Inside there were two leather books. One said "Gohan's Super Saiyan Observation Journal" and the other said "Journal".

Gohan took both of them out and started to flip through the pages of his journal. The beginning was written in a child's handwriting, from when Gohan was first able to write, and as he got further on, Gohan saw that he had written about the tournament and everything else. He had brought his journal with him when he had gone into the Hyperbolic Time Chamber with his dad, writing when he had time. He quickly wrote about his time with Lime and then closed the book.

Gohan then traced the lettering on his observation journal. The first time he had used this was after the journey to Namek. Gohan had used the time waiting for his father to return to write all he could about the first Super Saiyan transformation. He also drew an accurate picture of his dad's super saiyan form later while in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. He also had added later information when he figured out more about their transformations. Gohan didn't know what else he would use the journal for since they had discovered all the Super Saiyan transformations so far, although his dad said that there was something beyond Super Saiyan. Gohan hadn't believed him at first, but then the more he thought about it, the possibility could be true. Gohan also believed that his father would be the first one to reach the new transformation. Gohan continued to look through the pages and then came to another one of his entries that read:

_The first time dad ever became a Super Saiyan, it was when Frieza _

_killed Krillin. As a super Saiyan, he looked different and his power _

_level rose to almost 50 times normal. That first time was scary, _

_since no one knew what was happening to him. It was like he had some _

_sort of strange sickness that came from his Saiyan blood. The more _

_emotional Dad got, the more his odd Saiyan powers would take over his _

_body. Oh, and Mom doesn't seem to like Super Saiyans very much._

Gohan softly laughed at the memory. It was true that his mom didn't like Super Saiyans much, since when she first saw Gohan in his transformation, she thought that he had become a "hair dying freak" and had broken down crying. It had taken a lot to convince her that he had not dyed his hair, but finally she was satisfied.

He then put both of the books back into the drawer and started to head back to his bed, but then something on his desk caught his eye. He turned around and saw that he was looking at a picture frame. He smiled and picked it up gently. It was a picture of Gohan, when he was four, and his dad at the Kame House. After looking at the picture for a while, Gohan put it down and headed back to his bed. Gohan finally fell asleep with the happy memories in his head, not being disturbed the rest of the night.

The next few days did consist of training and rest, but strange things started to happen. When Goku and Chi-Chi went to an interview to get Gohan into a good school, the rest of the Z fighters (including Bulma, "little" Trunks, Future Trunks, Master Roshi, and Oolong) went to have a picnic on the big hill overlooking West City. During that time, the saiyan Paragus came and invited Vegeta to the new Planet Vegeta. Gohan, Oolong, Master Roshi, Future Trunks, and Krillin all got taken along. It was also rumored that the Legendary Super Saiyan was destroying galaxies and was headed towards the New Planet Vegeta. Goku joined them (after getting punched in the face by Krillin, accidently of course) and then they all discovered that Broly, Paragus's son, was the legendary super saiyan. Goku ended up destroying him and everyone went back to Earth.

Also, a machine created by Dr. Mui named Hatyatch and the destron gas threatened to destroy Earth at that time as well. Several other events happened as well, and for Gohan, it seemed like a lot was happening in the week leading up to the Cell Games.

Suddenly, only two days were left till the Cell Games. Also, it was Gohan's birthday. The morning started out alright. Krillin came over and had lunch with Gohan and Goku. The problem started when Krillin started to tell a joke about when Vegeta invaded Earth and Yajarobe got scared and tried to join him. Gohan started laughing as he was going to take a drink from his glass cup, and accidently broke it.

"Not another one," Goku said as he stared at the broken pieces of glass on the table, "you need to control your power level like this, see?"

Goku was trying to show Gohan how to not break a glass cup, since he had proceeded to pick up his and ended up breaking it too. After that, it seemed like the whole house was turned upside down; the table and chairs were broken and there was a mess everywhere.

"WHY CAN'T WE HAVE A NORMAL MEAL WITHOUT BREAKING SOMETHING?" everyone flinched as they heard Chi-Chi scream from behind them, almost blasting the two saiyans' eardrums out due to their sensitive hearing. And of course with every conflict, there are consequences. Gohan's was for him to go study. Goku and Krillin were both to help clean up and then to get out of the house. So Gohan went to go to his room and study in piece. After a while, Gohan heard his door slam open and turned around to see his mother standing in the door way.

"Mom I'm studying this time, I swear," Gohan said as Chi-Chi came over and closed his textbooks.

"Gohan don't swear, it's rude. I want you to finish up and then go fishing with your father," Chi-Chi said as Gohan stared at his mother, not quite believing what she was saying.

After making sure that she was positively right, Gohan went out and started to go fishing with his father in the lake near their house. They had been sitting in silence for a while when Krillin started up a conversation. Soon it turned into another joke, and Goku was laughing so hard that when he slapped Krillin on the back, he fell in. Gohan then started to laugh as Krillin pretended he was drowning and then pulled Goku into the water as payback.

Later on, Gohan was dozing in the grass when he heard his dad scream in pain and opened his eyes to see him holding his head. Apparently Krillin had thought that Goku could blast a rock into a million pieces and tried to see what would happen by throwing the rock at Goku, resulting in a head injury (minor, not major).

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><p>When it was time for the party, everyone showed up (everyone meaning Krillin, Oolong, the Z fighters, the Ox King, and Future Trunks; with the exception of Goku, Chi-Chi, and Gohan, since they were already there). After delivering gifts and chatting for a while, most of the guests went home. The only people remaining were the Ox King, Goku, Chi-Chi, Krillin, and Gohan. After everyone left, it was time for the cake. Everyone told Gohan to make a wish.<p>

_I wish I would be strong enough to beat Cell and that everyone would be safe,_ Gohan silently thought as he blew on the candles. Gohan apparently didn't control his blowing right, which resulted in the cake being blown on everyone except Gohan.

"Mm… Where's your piece Gohan?" Goku asked as he tasted the cake that was now splattered all over his face. Gohan started to laugh as a blush spread across his face, he could tell because of the heat. Chi-Chi then got up looking furious.

"Gohan don't you know how many boys would be punished for destroying their own birthday cake," she started but then walked to stand beside Goku, "but I can't blame you, you are Goku's son after all."

Everyone started to laugh as Gohan started to open his presents. He got a souvenir hat from the Ox King, textbooks from his mother, and a few nature books from Krillin. Gohan wasn't surprised when Goku gave him a look that said 'I will give you it outside'. Gohan nodded, but was a bit surprised when Goku asked,

"Hey Chi-Chi, can Gohan and I take a walk?"

"Um sure," his mother answered but then sternly added, "as long as he's back by curfew."

Goku promised that he and Gohan wouldn't be long, and both of them headed out the door. They started to walk and ended up at the lake they had been fishing at earlier. Goku went over to a bush and pulled out a box. He handed it to Gohan and then motioned for him to open it. Gohan pulled off the lid of the box and saw three things: a cylinder looking object, an orange gi, and a knife.

"You probably already know what the gi is for," Goku said and then continued, "The cylinder shaped object is a memory holder. It can show you memories from your past that have been put into the storage. The knife is something I picked up on my travels around the world. Look closely."

Goku then pointed at something carved on the handle. Gohan looked closer and saw that it was his father's Earth name in Japanese writing. Gohan traced the lettering, sending his Ki into it, and then he watched as his Ki put his name letters indented into the handle. He looked back at his father and then smiled. Nothing could have made this day more perfect. He thanked his father for the gifts and then they both walked back to the house, father and son, side by side.

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><p>How was this chapter? I am a bit disappointed in how it turned out, but I guess I like the outcome. The reason I didn't go into the events of what happened during the Cell Games is because I am going to make a separate fanfiction explaining both events in the near future. If you are interested, please tell me. Also, please tell me your opinions about the add ons of this fanfiction. Please R&amp;R. Thanks!<p>

-AnimeWolfGirl9


	4. The Tournament Finally Arrives

I would like to continue to thank all of the faithful followers of this fanfiction (yes, you know who you are). I am hoping that everyone has liked the story/ plot so far. Now we head into the first part of the Cell Games. I would like to say two things before we (you) start reading. When I said in the comment from last chapter about making a separate fanfiction, I meant about the fights with Broly and Hatyatch being a separate fanfiction. Sorry about the typo. I would also like to inform you that the quote from Gohan's Super Saiyan Journal was from the game Budokai Tenkaichi 2. Thanks and I hope you enjoy this chapter.

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><p><span>Chapter 4: The Tournament Finally Arrives<span>

Gohan sat up straight in his bed when he heard noises coming from the kitchen. He quickly got dressed in the purple gi that his Namekian mentor Piccolo had made for him and went out into the kitchen. He looked at the clock on the wall and saw that even though it was only seven in the morning, his mother was making breakfast.

"Oh hello Gohan," his mother acknowledged as her hands were flying around the kitchen, "your father isn't up yet, but I just wanted to make sure that you both would be well fed for that tournament today. You know to be careful out there, right?"

_Yes I know mom, _Gohan silently answered as he sat down,_ I hope that I won't be the one doing any fighting, unless it's to help daddy or everyone else._

After Gohan was done eating a quick breakfast (and compared to a human that is still a lot), he flew off towards the Lookout to wait for everyone else. While Gohan was flying over the towns near the Lookout, he started to think.

_I hope everything goes well today. If we lose, everything will be destroyed, including all the towns and people in them. The Earth is counting on us to win, but I still am worried._

Gohan stopped when he landed on the Lookout. He saw that Future Trunks, Krillin, Tien, Yamcha, Mr. Popo, and Dende were already waiting.

"Hello everyone," Gohan greeted as he tried to break the silence between them. Everyone said hello and then stopped talking, doleful looks on their faces.

"What's wrong? Is everything ok?" Gohan asked after a few minutes of silence passed.

"Um Gohan," Dende, his Namekian friend from Namek, started sadly, "I'm sorry but you know when I made the dragon balls to be able to revive all of Cell's victims in one wish? Well when that happened, if anyone who dies in this tournament has already been wished back once, they can't be wished back again. I'm sorry."

"It's ok Dende; I know you tried your best. Thanks anyway," Gohan said as he stared at the ground, starting to think again.

_Nobody can be brought back with the dragon balls after they die. That would include Tien, Yamcha, Piccolo, and daddy. Now this is really bad! I can't let anyone get hurt!_

Apparently when Gohan had been thinking, Goku had appeared using Instant Transmission and asked why everyone was looking down. Gohan listened as Tien told Goku what Dende had said earlier, and the reason Gohan had looked down was partially because he had been thinking; since Gohan was very expressive, he usually showed what he was thinking in his emotions. He had just started to listen again when he heard his dad say,

"It's alright everyone, don't worry," then Gohan saw his dad look around, "Hey where's Vegeta?"

Gohan had just realized that the "Prince of all Saiyans" was missing. Gohan looked at everyone for an answer, but Piccolo stated that Vegeta had gone on ahead. Then they all left the Lookout with a bag of Senzu beans and headed towards the Cell Games arena. To a normal person, it would seem strange to see humans flying through the clouds, but then again this wasn't a normal day. Gohan continued to fly alongside the rest of the Z fighters, trying to take away his stress by concentrating on the wind running through his hair.

As they landed at the edge of the arena, Gohan indeed saw that Vegeta had gone on early since he was already at the rink. He was staring at them with displeasure.

_He probably doesn't want us to interfere,_ Gohan thought as he stared back at the dark haired saiyan.

Gohan continued to look around and saw that Hercule, the supposed Champion of Earth, was there as well with another group of people. Gohan figured they were some kind of specially selected force that Hercule had chosen to protect him. He also saw that the news reporters were here as well.

_Great,_ Gohan thought,_ why do they have to be here? I guess that is normal because where ever Hercule is, the news crew follows. That's it, sorry Hercule but I would like it if you left now._

He then took a glance at the center of the ring and saw Cell. Cell seemed to sense that someone was looking at him and turned around, purple eyes meeting black. Gohan quickly looked away; he shuddered as he realized the dreams were acutely accurate. Cell looked just like he did in Gohan's dreams: green skin dotted with dark patches of green, deep purple eyes, and white 'skin'. Cell smiled, seeming satisfied enough that the Z fighters had arrived.

"Welcome everyone to the Cell Games," Cell said as he smiled maliciously, "who would like to go first?"

Gohan saw that the 'special force of Hercule' (or SFH for short) stood up and challenged Cell, but each of them were disposed of quickly. Hercule then challenged Cell, but he got knocked into a rock before he could do anything.

"You know Gohan I was kind of rooting for Cell to win that one," Krillin whispered in Gohan's ear as he stared at the cringing Hercule. Gohan almost felt sorry for him, but then again, he had brought that on himself. Goku then started to fight Cell. Gohan watched as Cell and his father continued to exchange blows. They were going pretty fast; Gohan could follow them perfectly, but he knew some of the others like Yamcha and Krillin would have a hard time keeping up. After a while, Gohan could see that both fighters were tiring, but his father was tiring faster. Cell seemed to notice this since he smirked.

"Goku I hope you are not tiring," Cell mocked, "why not you have one of those Senzu beans of yours so we can continue this exciting match?"

Gohan thought that his father would either refuse the Senzu bean or continue fighting. But Gohan was surprised when his father did something no one had expected.

"Cell I give up. You win this round." Goku said as he slowly powered down to normal super saiyan. Gohan could sense everyone's shock, including his own.

_Daddy what are you doing? You can't give up!_

"Goku don't you know what this means?" Cell said as he stared at Goku from above, "if you give up, the Earth will be destroyed."

"Cell even though I am giving up, that doesn't mean that there isn't anyone else to verse you." Goku stated. Cell started to smirk and looked over at where the Z fighters were standing.

"Who is going to fight me then? Vegeta, Piccolo, Trunks? Any of them?"

"You are going to be really surprised by him when you do verse him Cell. You might not want to be in a hurry though." Goku said as he started to smile.

_Daddy what are you planning?_ Gohan thought as he tried to find a hint of what his father was going to do next.

"Goku just tell me who _he_ is already!" Cell almost shouted. Gohan could tell that he was getting irritated and that was going to be bad.

"Ok then," Goku said and then turned to the Z fighters, "Come on, my son."

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><p>Haha cliffhanger! Sorry I know it didn't go as accurate as the show, but I wanted to mix it up a bit. I didn't want to go too much of the fight between Goku and Cell since Dragon Ball Z Kai is doing that. I would suggest watching the older and new versions to see the differences. It helps. I would also like to know everyone's opinion on something. I was thinking about making a Wipeout version of Dragon Ball Z. If you are interested, please let me know. Also, please R&amp;R! Thanks!<p>

-AnimeWolfGirl9


	5. Awake

Hope everyone is as excited as me for another chapter! Sorry about the long wait. I was really busy with school, being sick, and some computer problems. I am hoping to start updating a bit more at night time so I hope that will help to get more chapters out. Hope you enjoy this one as well!

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><p><span>Chapter 5: Awake<span>

All Gohan could do was stare at the ground as his father announced the next fighter. Gohan heard Piccolo shout something, but he was too stunned to listen.

_Me? _Gohan thought, suddenly becoming interested in the grass he was staring at. _Daddy wants me to fight Cell? But if he couldn't beat Cell, then how do I have a chance. I don't want to mess up again. I don't want anyone to get hurt. I don't…_

Gohan felt his father's hand on his shoulder. He looked up at his father's face with uncertainty.

"You can do it right, Gohan?" Goku said as he looked at his son.

"Me, fight with Cell?" Gohan hinted a question as he tried not to look away. Everyone else started to throw in comments, including Piccolo, who told Goku to think about what he was doing.

"Guys," Gohan heard his dad say after a minute, "Just think about it. Since Gohan was a kid, he has been able to keep up with us. I know that when I was his age, I wasn't even half as strong as he is now."

Gohan also heard his father say something about a "great power" inside of him that none of them could begin to imagine.

_It is true that I can keep up with everyone, but that's only because I have been training since I was four or five. Of course, that's natural! Daddy said that there is a hidden power within me that nobody can imagine. I doubt that; I can't even imagine it myself,_ Gohan thought as everybody else continued to argue.

"Just trust me," Gohan heard his father say after a few minutes, "I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't know it would turn out ok."

Goku turned back to look at Gohan. He saw that his son was still looking a bit confused if not frightened at the idea of fighting Cell. Goku knew that Gohan could handle it; after all, he was Goku's son.

"Gohan, at any time when Cell and I were fighting, were we ever too fast for you?" Goku asked as he knelt back down to Gohan's level.

"No, but I am sure if both of you would have been fighting at your full power…" Gohan began but was soon interrupted by his father.

"Son, I know I can't speak for Cell, but I was giving it my all out there. You were confused because the whole time we were fighting, you were comparing my power level to yours." Goku stated truthfully.

Gohan once again felt a wave of doubt, but the more he thought about it, the more he knew it was true. He knew he hadn't been meaning to compare power levels, but he guessed that it had just come naturally. Gohan looked at his father and then around at his friends. He could see that they were confused at the prospect of what his father had just said.

"Do you think you could give it a try, Gohan?" Goku said as he went to stare back at his son.

Gohan was going to say that he didn't know, but then something hit him. His father believed that he could beat Cell, even though Gohan didn't himself. He also felt something urging him forward, almost like an invisible force trying to tell him something.

"Ok dad, I'll do my best," Gohan said as he started to smile. He stood up and, looking out at the Cell Games Arena, removed his shoulder pads. Gohan knew that this would be one of the toughest battles of his life, but he knew that his father believed in him, and that was all he needed.

Gohan focused his Ki and flew down to the dirt floor below. He looked up at a sudden change in air movement and saw Cell slowly floating downwards, amusement dancing in his dark purple eyes.

"Well aren't you loyal? I don't know of many sons who would fight their fathers' battles, let alone die for them." Cell said in an amused voice. Gohan didn't care to answer; he wasn't going to be taunted by Cell. He stared at Cell as he went into a fighting position. Cell seemed to be even more excited at this, falling into a fighting position himself.

Cell suddenly rushed forward and aimed his hand for Gohan's side, but Gohan dodged as he felt Cell continue to chase after him. Cell kept coming again and again, but Gohan wanted to avoid the possibility of a fight as much as he could.

Gohan jumped into the air, Cell copying his movement, and dodged a barricade of punches and kicks from the android.

"Not bad kid," Cell stated as he stared at Gohan, "I have to give Goku credit for choosing you to fight me, but his praise was over exaggerated. Let's see how you do against my real speed!"

Gohan saw a blur before Cell grabbed him by his shirt and started to punch him in the face multiple times. He then kicked Gohan and flung him to the ground, sending a Ki blast that sent Gohan crashing to the Earth below, piles of rocks hiding the half Saiyan from view.

Gohan had barely had time to scream in pain before rocks had come crashing down on him. Everything went dark for a few seconds as his body started to complain with the pain it was in. Gohan could hear the rest of the Z fighters yelling, but he couldn't understand them. He knew his Ki felt weak now and he knew that he would need to try and power up again. Just as Gohan let his Ki rise, he heard his father yell something at Cell. The rocks flew away from him as he stood up and started to walk back towards the green android. Cell turned around and Gohan had to admit that the android looked happy to see him.

"Well Gohan, I didn't give you as much credit as I should have," Cell stated as the half breed reached him.

"We don't have to do this," Gohan started, "this fighting its pointless."

Cell started to laugh and said,

"You want me to stop my tournament just because you don't want to fight?"

"Yes," Gohan said as he started to stare at the ground, "I don't want to kill you."

At this Cell looked interested. His purple eyes lit up with curiosity.

"Did I just hear you make a threat to kill me? What makes you think that you would actually be able to?"

"I'm starting to understand why my dad thinks that I can beat you," Gohan said more to himself than anyone else, "ever since I was a kid, I have had trouble controlling my anger. When I got angry, it was like some kind of hidden power within me awakened, and I wouldn't stop fighting until the other person had felt pain or was incapable of fighting back. I remember the first time was when my Uncle Raditz was beating up my father. I hated to hear him scream. My father had shown him kindness and mercy, but Raditz had returned him with pain. I wanted to make him feel that pain, and so I did. The other time was when Freiza was hurting Krillin on Namek. We were all trying our best to fight him till my father would arrive, but I wasn't able to protect anyone. I guess I finally snapped whenever I saw Krillin fall into the water and not come back up. I wanted to save him, but Freiza wouldn't let me; he stood in my way. So I felt that power again, wanting to hurt Freiza for all the pain he had caused my friends. I kept beating into him until I finally had the sense to calm down. I don't want to kill anyone, even someone as evil as you. I believe that everything has a chance to change and live. I _hate_ killing, as much as I hate you. That's why I think dad chose me to fight you."

Gohan heard silence after that. He couldn't believe that he had told Cell his whole life story, but he hoped that Cell would change like Vegeta, if only he…

"That's an interesting story," Cell said as an evil smile crept onto his face, "but sadly for you, it didn't work. In fact, it actually gave me something to work for. Now I want to see this power for myself."

Before Gohan could react, he saw a blur of green before he was slammed into the ground, Cell stepping on his head. Gohan started to scream again as Cell continued to add more weight to his foot. He heard the android saying something to him, but the pain in his head drowned out all other sound.

After a minute or two, Cell lifted his foot off of Gohan's head and picked him up. Gohan usually like hugs, but that was only from his family. As he was trying to get his thoughts in order, Gohan felt Cell start to tighten his grip around him. Gohan once again started to scream as he felt Cell starting to break him. All Gohan felt was pain, horrible pain, as the torture continued. He was starting to have a hard time breathing, and over his scream he could hear everyone on the cliff yelling. He started to try and break away from Cell, but every muscle in his body protested as he tried to. Cell finally dropped him on the ground, frowning at his unsuccessful results.

"I guess since I'm done with you," he said, "I can now play with your friends."

At that statement, Gohan tried to stand up and hit Cell, but he got smacked away before he could hit the android.

Gohan saw that Android 16 had tried to blow up Cell, but the bomb inside of him had been removed, allowing Cell to blow the peaceful android to pieces.

_There is no way I am going to let you hurt my friends,_ Gohan thought as he heard Cell counting to himself. Before Gohan could comprehend what was going on, seven mini versions of Cell appeared in front of him. They were blue in appearance and had very high Ki levels, almost as high as Cell himself. Gohan heard Cell tell the 'Cell Jrs' that they could kill his friends.

_No!_ Gohan inwardly screamed as the mini Cells started to fly towards his friends on the cliff. He didn't know what to do anymore. He watched as the Cell Jrs continued to maul his friends. Krillin, Yamcha, and Tien were the first to go down. Piccolo, Goku, and the others followed suit. Gohan was horrified that even after his friends were down the Cell Jrs continued to beat them.

_Daddy what do I do?_ Gohan thought as he closed his tear filled eyes as to tried to block out their screams. _You trusted me and I'm failing again! Why did you have to have so much faith in me? Why can't I stop this!_

Gohan suddenly felt that familiar feeling inside of him again, and apparently Cell noticed it too; Gohan saw that he started to smile. Suddenly, the head of Android 16 appeared in front of him.

"Gohan," the android started, "I know how you feel, but you must let go. My scanners have sensed the power within you, all you have to do is let go. Please, do it to protect the world."

Cell noticed the android and walked up to where his head lay, placing his foot on it.

"Thanks for your words, Android 16, but I think it's time for you to go!"

Gohan then watched in horror as Cell crushed the head beneath his foot, ending the peaceful android's life.

"Another life you could have saved." Cell said as he smiled at his work.

_No! Android 16, you loved life. Why did I let you die? Why can't I do anything? I CAN'T WATCH THIS ANYMORE!_ Gohan thought as he suddenly felt the walls holding his power in give way. Gohan started to scream as pain and waves of Ki went through him. All he could see as the screaming continued was the pain and death of everyone he knew over and over again. As sudden as it came, the rush of pain left. Gohan didn't have much time to think things over, but he looked up at Cell. He knew he had changed but it didn't seem to matter to him.

"So you have finally arrived," Cell said with amusement as he smiled at his success. On any normal circumstance, Gohan would have thought,

_I have been here the whole time._

But this wasn't any normal circumstance. Cell had finally broken down the walls that Gohan had been using to protect that power for years. Gohan only had one thought going through his head as he stared angrily at Cell.

_Make him pay!_

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><p>Sorry again that this took so long! Also, sorry I know I stink at battle scenes, but I know that they will get better soon. Being sick really does stuff to my thought process. Anyway, I hope you liked it! I am sorry to report that I will not be able to start the DBZ: Wipeout fanfiction for awhile. Also, I can promise you that hopefully after the Cell Games and a few other events, this fanfiction will be updated more frequently. Please R&amp;R!<p>

~AnimeWolfGirl9


	6. Anger Unlocked

Hello everyone! Holidays are a really busy time for me, so I couldn't get this chapter out before Christmas. Sorry about the battle scenes again. I might try and edit them to make them better once I have finished this fanfiction. I don't know though since I have a lot planned *smiles*. Once again, hope you enjoy!

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><p><span>Chapter 6: Anger Unlocked<span>

Gohan walked out of the crater that the transformation had made, blue lightning crackling around him. He looked at the Cell, continuing to walk as he set hard teal eyes on the sole purpose of his anger. Gohan noticed that Cell had taken a step back during the transformation, his face had been filled with a mix of fear and wonder, but now Cell's expression was one of satisfaction.

"Now we can really begin, since you have shown your true power…" Cell began, but Gohan wasn't listening to Cell; he was staring at the bag of Senzu beans that was currently in the green android's hand. Gohan narrowed his eyes and quickly swiped the bag from the android, a motion that was slow to the hybrid Saiyan but Cell hadn't known till he looked down at his hand and back at Gohan.

"What! How did you get that! Give that…" but before Cell could finish his sentence, Gohan had teleported out of view. He reappeared in front of one of the Cell Jrs. He looked down at the blue version of Cell and brought his arm back. He quickly swung it forward, severing the mini android's head. Everyone looked shocked as the angered half Saiyan had destroyed the Cell Jr like it was nothing.

Gohan disappeared as quickly as he had appeared, returning in front of two Cell Jrs who had recently been fighting Krillin. The blue androids looked shocked and then frightened as the angry Saiyan walked towards them. One of them picked Krillin up by the back of the warrior's gi and brought its hand up to Krillin's neck, the android's nails growing longer.

"Don't worry about me Gohan," Krillin coughed out weakly. Gohan stopped and held up his hand as Ki began to form into a bright yellow ball. The mini androids looked taken aback that Gohan would fire the Ki with his friend in danger; the Cell Jr holding Krillin held its nails closer to Krillin's neck, still extending the black tips. When the Cell Jrs saw that Gohan wasn't going to stop his attack, the one not holding Krillin started to fly away. The other Cell Jr had second thoughts too; he also flew away at top speed, trying to get away from the angry hybrid.

Suddenly, the Cell Jrs turned around and started to form Ki in their small hands. Gohan quickly grabbed Krillin as the Ki blasts were fired and teleported above the mini androids. Before they could attack again, Gohan teleported and laid Krillin down near Piccolo, phasing out before returning in front one of the Cell Jrs. He then kicked the mini android with little effort and watched as its body fell apart, blue smoke appearing where it had last been. He heard Cell's disbelief from below, the android almost cringing with frustration as he watched his creations get blown to pieces.

The remaining Cell Jrs flew down to where Gohan was and tried to attack him all at once. Gohan turned and dodged every single attack, then destroying more of the mini Cells. As four more Cell Jrs came to attack him, Gohan threw the bag of Senzu beans into the air and attacked the four remaining androids, catching the bag when the Cell Jrs were on the ground. Gohan knew that the mini Cells were getting desperate because they next attacked with some of the Z fighters' strongest moves, including Kamehameha, Special Beam Cannon, and Tri Beam attack. Sadly for the Cell Jrs, their attacks did next to nothing against the half Saiyan; Gohan quickly destroyed the remaining Cell Jrs with multiple Ki blasts.

Finally satisfied that there were no more Cell Jrs, Gohan turned to look at Cell. The green android was seething with rage, and that satisfied Gohan to some extent.

"Pass these around Trunks," he stated as he threw the Senzu beans to the future Saiyan. He knew he sounded harsh, but Gohan wasn't in any mood to show kindness. He just wanted Cell to be gone and done with.

_But not before he gets his fair share of pain,_ Gohan thought,_ and I will be sure to give it to him._

Gohan walked toward the green android as his Ki flared bright yellow around him. He lifted up into the air a bit to get out of the crater the fight had made. When he touched the ground again, lightning was crackling around him and waves of smoke moved across the ground from how strong his Ki was.

As Gohan continued to stare at Cell, he knew that the Senzu beans were working; he could sense his friends' Ki growing stronger. He looked back at Cell and got into a fighting pose. He quickly launched himself at Cell, the android looking ready to counterattack; but as Cell went to make the first punch of this new fight, Gohan teleported quickly and appeared above the android.

Gohan knew as he looked down at the green android that the battle was far from over and that it had only just begun.

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><p>I have one very important question for you: Were the fight scenes better in this chapter? Please tell me what you thought in a review. I was originally going to finish the whole Cell Games in one chapter before posting this, but I thought that since this has taken me a long time that I wanted to get this chapter out. Also, I thought that since it was a New Year (well when it turns 12 it will be, but you get what I mean), I would start it off with the dawning of a new battle. Once again, I hope you enjoyed! Merry (late) Christmas and a Happy New Year everyone!<p>

AnimeWolfGirl9


	7. Gohan's Pain

Hi everyone! Hope you had a great New Year so far! I actually found the manga version (in English of course, since I can't read Japanese… yet) of the battle between Super Saiyan 2 Gohan and Cell. It was kind of interesting to find the "original" copy of the Cell Games, so I might be adding some dialogue and stuff from there (that's why if you can't find anything in either versions of the anime, I either made it up or got it from there). Hope you enjoy!

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><p><span>Chapter 7: Gohan's Pain<span>

Gohan floated down to the ground, seeing that Cell wasn't in a fighting position anymore.

"Don't get cocky, boy. You don't really think you can beat me?" Cell stated as he stared confidently at the hybrid.

"What do you think?" Gohan stated, uninterested in what Cell had to say. It wasn't a question, more like a demand or statement. Gohan saw that Cell got a bit agitated by his response.

"Arrogant little snip," Cell said and then started to smirk at Gohan, "Well then, let me show you my true power!"

The ground started to shake as Cell started to power up, pressing the purple Ki that surrounded him outwards. Gohan wasn't surprised in the least; the transformation to Super Saiyan 2 had allowed him to sense that Cell had been holding back great reserves of Ki. Cell let out a scream as the Ki surrounding him grew; and everyone watching the Cell Games, even those who couldn't sense Ki, could tell that Cell's power level was increasing at a fast rate. Cell's power finally came to a stable resting point. The dust which had coated the air settled, revealing Gohan to be standing in the same position he had previously been in.

"Well?" Cell asked after the dust had cleared, "Now you know!"

"Whoopee," Gohan simply stated as he stared uninterested at the green android. He didn't care how powerful Cell had become; it wouldn't matter in the end.

_In the end,_ Gohan thought, _in the end, you will be in so much pain that you will be begging for death._

Cell seemed to find amusement in Gohan's statement, giving a little laugh before he became serious again. This was a fight to decide the future of the Earth, not a laughing matter. The green android launched himself at Gohan, causing Gohan to teleport back into the sky. Cell took after Gohan again, but as the hybrid tried to punch him, Cell disappeared and then reappeared a few feet away. They both stared at each other before continuing the fight. Cell was clearly on the offensive; he was throwing punches at the Super Saiyan, but none of them were effective as Gohan effortlessly dodged every one of them. Cell stopped his barricade of punches for a brief moment, frustration covering his face.

"Stop mocking me!" he shouted as he kicked at Gohan's face, only for the Saiyan to quickly block the attack with his arm. Then Gohan started trying to punch and kick Cell, moving at a blinding speed that the average human would barely be able to see. Cell then started to fight back, matching Gohan blow for blow. Shockwaves started to appear from the intensity of the clash. Gohan quickly landed on the ground and noticed that Cell was doing the same.

_Well, _Gohan thought as he stared at the green android, _at least I am getting a bit of enjoyment out of this._

They then launched back into an aerial battle, mainly consisting of Cell trying to punch Gohan but to no avail. The green android clenched his fists in frustration.

"Why do my punches never hit you?" he stated angrily, "Enough of this!"

Gohan disappeared as Cell went to punch him, the android's hand crushing a stone to pieces as his only answer. Cell stared angrily at Gohan and suddenly a bright light began to come from the android.

_Well this is partially amusing, _Gohan thought since he was starting to enjoy the android's frustration.

The remaining mountain of rocks that was near the two was reduced to rubble as the light completely annihilated it. Shards of rock flew in all directions as the harsh light continued. Gohan knew that the display of power that was coming from the android was simply from Cell's rage and frustration; something that Gohan was becoming more satisfied about. He knew that Cell was only beginning to feel emotional pain, but that it was only the beginning and that he would soon feel physical pain as well. When the smoke cleared, Gohan was floating right where he had been. He slowly floated backwards and back to the ground. He looked back up at Cell silently and saw the android still seething with rage.

Cell floated back down to the ground and stood in front of the hybrid Saiyan.

"Don't get too confident," Cell stated as he smirked confidently, "For I have yet to show you what I am truly capable of."

"Can it," Gohan stated, slightly annoyed that the green android would even think that he was stronger than the Saiyan. This got Cell's attention, for his face instantly turned from confident to surprise.

"Well then, let's see how you fare against my real power," Cell said as everyone except Gohan seemed surprised. Cell once again started to power up, making the ground shake and a strong wind come from where he was standing. Cell started to laugh in amusement at his power, and as a show of his new strength, the android aimed a powerful punch at Gohan's head. The android smirked proudly as his punch hit its mark, but he was surprised to see that it had no effect on the half Saiyan. Gohan still stood in the same place as he had been, unfazed by the seemingly ruthless attack. When he saw that his attack hadn't worked, Cell grew frustrated and aimed another punch at the Saiyan; but before it could even touch him, Gohan threw a light punch to Cell's stomach, making the android reel backwards in pain. The half Saiyan took advantage at the android's weakness and kicked him in the jaw, sending Cell flying. Gohan now saw that Cell's face was one of fear and disbelievement. The Saiyan saw Cell weakness in his purple eyes, smirking as the blood coming out of the android's mouth matched those same eyes that had been taunting him. As Gohan continued to walk towards Cell, he could see the fear reflected in those eyes. Suddenly, Cell flew up into the air and brought his hands to his sides, forming them into a familiar pose.

"Ka…Me..." Cell's voice started to ring out across the landscape as he charged his attack, a blue ball of light forming in his hands. Gohan could feel everyone's surprise at the attack, but he simply stood in the same spot, unfazed by the android's supposed display of power.

"A Kamehameha at full power," Cell's voice once again rang out, but it was mostly directed at the boy below him, "dodge and the Earth will be pulp! You have to take it head on!"

Cell finished his attack and let loose a giant beam of blue light, headed straight for Gohan. Everyone knew that if the attack hit the Earth, it would most likely be destroyed. The half Saiyan that the beam was headed for made no movement to get away, nor did he have any surprise on his face; only staring at the light beam head on.

"Kame…hame…" Gohan still stood in the same position as he said these words, almost so silent that no one could hear them. He brought his hands to one side similar to the way Cell had, a blue light also forming as he did so.

"HAAA!" Gohan finished as he let out a smaller beam of light from his hands. The beam collided with Cell's bigger one and sent both beams back towards the green android; who now looked on in fear. Cell screamed in agony as the blue light seared into him. As the light and dust slowly cleared, Cell was seen in his worst state yet. Cell's body was dripping with blood, while his legs, left arm, and both antennae (?) were missing. Gohan smirked in pride at his accomplishment. Suddenly he heard a voice from the cliff where the other Z Fighters were.

"Gohan what are you doing? Finish him! FINISH CELL OFF!" Goku shouted from the sidelines. At first, Gohan wasn't sure if he had heard his father correctly.

_Finish Cell off?_ He thought with confusion, _why would I do that? His suffering has only just begun._

For a short moment, Gohan's human side was starting to realize what was happening.

_What am I doing? I shouldn't be acting this way! I should listen to Daddy and finish him, _his rational side thought. Suddenly, Gohan heard another voice speak to him.

_**But you don't want to**__,_ the voice similar to his stated,_** you want to make him suffer and pay for what he has done, not only to you, but to those you hold dear as well.**_

Gohan's vision suddenly swam as he was forced to see his friends get tortured by the Cell Jrs all over again. The voice sounded so much like him, he wasn't sure if it was him or not. As the images continued, his Saiyan side was filled with rage and started to take over again. This all took only a few moments.

"Already?" his voice was filled with a slight disbelief at the demand his father had just given, "sorry Dad, but I think I want him to suffer more."

He could feel his father's disbelief and confusion through his Ki and in the state that Gohan was in, it didn't bother him one bit. Just as he finished thinking this through, he heard Cell give a strangled cry of pain, and watched in satisfaction as the android used the ability of the Namekians to grow back his lost limbs. Gohan watched as Cell floated for a few seconds, panting at the effort it had cost him as he tried to regain his breath. The android then glared angrily down at Gohan.

"You…" Cell started, "ARE GOING TO PAY!"

The android then started to go through another transformation; Cell's strength increased dramatically. Gohan already knew that Cell had made a big mistake; that he had sacrificed speed for strength. The android landed harshly on the ground, leaving a crater where his feet stood.

"I will NEVER lose to a thing like you!" Cell shouted as he went to punch the demi Saiyan, but the android's hand hit the ground below, forming yet another crater. Cell continued to try and hit Gohan, but the demi Saiyan always easily avoided the punches and kicks the android was throwing at him. Gohan finally felt fed up at the slowness Cell was moving at and kicked the android in the face, giving Cell a feeling that he had been hit by a train. As Gohan continued to stare at the now staggering android, he could tell that Cell wasn't feeling too good. The android had completely forgotten about the fight and started to clench at his stomach, looking like he was going to lose his lunch. The next moment, Cell lurched over and spat up, not his lunch, but the form of a blond haired woman covered in saliva. Gohan instantly recognized the woman as Android 18, and he knew that everyone else did too. Gohan then looked back at Cell, the android still trying to regain his bearings after his little mess. The hybrid Saiyan would have normally wanted to help someone who looked in this bad of a shape but since Gohan did not really sympathize with the monster before him, he almost wanted to laugh at the scene in front of him. Suddenly, Cell started to groan in pain; Gohan already knew the consequences of the android spitting up Android 18. Cell slowly started to change back to his previous form, smoke coming off him at the effort his body was taking to try and maintain his "perfect" form. Green spots appeared on the android's body, underneath a layer of light green; his lined face turned to a square like shape; and his purple eyes were still the same, but they didn't look as menacing.

The scene in front of Gohan was almost comical to him for Cell almost looked harmless. Indeed, Gohan almost felt sorry for him. _**Almost.**_ Cell looked back at Gohan, terrified that he was no longer complete. Suddenly, a thought occurred to the Saiyan.

_Now that Cell is not perfect, he is weaker than before. I most likely won't get any fun out of this;_ Gohan pondered this and got irritated that this was no longer going to be as fun as it had been.

"Pfff. Figures. I guess that's it for you then." Gohan stated uninterestedly. He started to walk towards Cell, who was by now recoiling in fear at what the Saiyan had in store for him.

"No… I won't…" Cell stated in fear, "I won't accept this!"

The sight that greeted Gohan next was one that perked his interest. Cell started to inflate like a balloon.

_Another transformation?_ Gohan thought,_ Well I hope this won't be too boring._

Soon the android had inflated to the size of a large hill. Gohan wasn't sure how this new 'form' could help the android, unless Cell was planning to try and sit on him, it wouldn't be helpful.

"Gohan run!" Gohan quickly glanced back at his father to see a look of fear on his face. The half Saiyan jerked his attention back to the inflated android when he started to speak.

"Everybody say goodbye!" Cell stated in a deep voice, he almost sounded amused, "I'm going to self-destruct in 60 seconds! I'll die… but so will **you**! The whole earth will go with me!"

"What?" Gohan asked, almost unsure of what the android was saying. Gohan continued to stare in disbelief at the android when he heard Cell say,

"It's too late to grovel now. I can't even stop it."

"I won't let you!" Gohan said determined as he got into a fighting stance and pulled his fist back, ready to punch the overconfident android. Suddenly, Cell held up his hands in a warning gesture.

"Stop! I'd advise you not to attack!" he said, "I'll explode the instant I'm hit. You'll be just as dead- but a little bit sooner!"

Gohan fell down on his knees at the android's words.

_What do I do now?_ He thought desperately, _how do I stop him? I can't. I should have finished him when daddy told me too! Why did I have to be so foolish?_

"Four more seconds," Cell stated to remind Gohan of his failure, "the game ended in a draw… and that means… everybody loses!"

Suddenly, a shape appeared in front of him. Gohan quickly looked up to see his father standing in front of him, one hand on Cell and two fingers on his forehead.

"You did well Gohan," Goku said softly as he stared down at Gohan, "I'm proud of you."

"Daddy?" Gohan asked as he stared in confusion at his father.

_Daddy what are you doing?_ Gohan thought with an ominous feeling in his gut.

"I'm sorry. I won't be making it home. Tell your mother that I had to do this Gohan. Goodbye, my son." As soon as he had finished speaking, Goku and Cell both disappeared. Gohan stood up and tried to stop his father, but both his father's and Cell's Ki were getting farther away. Then suddenly they both disappeared; Gohan couldn't sense them anymore.

_No! _Gohan inwardly screamed.

"Don't leave us!" he desperately yelled, but he was too late. They were gone. Gohan fell to his knees and tried to support himself as he nearly fell to the ground. Moisture started to fill in his eyes, making his eyesight blurry. He could feel himself slipping from his new form; his hair remained yellow, but it shortened and fell downward, his eyes losing their harsh tint.

_Why dad? Why are you leaving me? Why did you have to sacrifice yourself?_ Gohan sobbed as his thoughts were continually turned into questions.

"DADDY!" Gohan screamed at the empty landscape around him, hoping for an answer; for his father to reappear and tell him that everything was alright. But Gohan knew that this was not going to happen, for it was almost impossible for Goku to have survived the explosion. Gohan knew that his father was gone, and it was…

**All his fault.**

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><p>First of all, I would like to just say that I am really sorry about the long update. I hope this longer chapter helps to make up for it. Also, how did you like this chapter? I would also like to know what your favorite part of the chapter was, and if you could spot some kind of irony contradiction that I put in this chapter? I am also really sorry that this is so much like the show. Don't worry though, I promise you that the Cell Games end next chapter and after one or two more events, we will be on to bigger stuff. Actually, there was the introduction of a new character in this chapter (sort of indirectly). I would like to see who can guess correctly. Also, things will start to pick up really quickly after the Cell Games. Anyway, I would like to give a big thanks to _BobJacksonSSJ_ for all the helpful reviews and hints that help to keep this fanfiction going. Thanks to all you readers out there! Please review!

-AnimeWolfGirl9


	8. The End of the Cell Game

Hope everyone is as excited as I am for this next chapter. We are finally at the end of the Cell Games! This fanfiction will now take a bit of a twist in about two chapters. Also, I am sorry if you got an email/ notice saying that I uploaded a new chapter, but I ended up changing something in the author's note for chapter 1. Either way, I hope you enjoy the end of the Cell Games!

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><p><span>Chapter 8: The End of the Cell Game<span>

Gohan continued to stare at the ground, the place where his father had been moments before. Tears streamed down his face and a light wind stirred his golden hair a bit, almost trying to comfort the crying boy. Gohan found some comfort in the wind, but he knew it would do no good; that light comfort could not ease the amount of pain that he was feeling.

Gohan could hear silence behind him, well almost silence; the only noise that stirred from that direction was the confused voices of the camera crew and Hercule. He wanted to look behind him to see what they should do now, but he didn't have the strength to do so. His eyes stung from the tears that still blurred his vision. Suddenly, Gohan heard footsteps from behind him, and then felt a hand on his back.

"It's alright Gohan; go ahead and cry. Everything will be all better soon. It's over. You and Goku did it together." Krillin whispered in a comforting tone, all the while rubbing his hand against Gohan's back. It did some to comfort him, but still it wasn't enough.

"It's my fault," Gohan said as he clenched his eyes shut to try and stop the tears, but that only made them flow harder, "I could have ended it earlier; I should have. Then dad wouldn't have had to…"

"Hey, don't blame yourself Gohan. Your father was proud of you till the end. He had to do what he had to because he loves you." Krillin stated softly before the half Saiyan could beat himself up anymore. When Krillin said 'he loves you', Gohan looked up at him.

_Daddy said the same thing, the same thing before…_ Gohan thought, but could not bring himself to finish his thought.

"Now let's get you home. Your mother is probably worried sick about you." Krillin continued as he started to help his 'nephew' up. Gohan was grateful for the help; every part of his body was protesting at the movement and, if it weren't for Krillin supporting him, Gohan was sure he would have fallen and fainted from exhaustion. Gohan saw Krillin look over at something once he was completely standing. Krillin ran over to that 'object' and Gohan, out of the corner of his eye; saw that it was a slime-covered Android 18.

"I completely forgot about her," Krillin stated to himself as he stared at the android and then picked her up, but Gohan knew that everyone else heard his statement, "guys, come on, we need to help her!"

"Krillin, what are you doing with that **machine**?" Vegeta asked with mocking harshness; Gohan knew that he had emphasized the word 'machine', "Destroy it!"

"But, she's a person too…" Krillin started at the Prince of all Saiyans, but was never able to finish what he was going to say next. A strong gust of wind suddenly blew from behind where Gohan was standing and, being in the state that he was, nearly knocked him over. Everyone looked at where the strong wind was coming from and Gohan followed suit, noticing with fear at the rising Ki that was making the dust stir so almost nothing was visible. It happened so suddenly that no one knew what to do: a Ki beam came out of the cloud of dust at a high speed. Gohan was sure it was going to hit him; but to his horror, it went passed him and he heard a choked noise behind him. Gohan spun around in fear just in time to see Trunks fall to the ground, blood seeping out a fresh wound on his chest. He saw Yamcha and Tien instantly run to help the time traveling Saiyan, but Gohan knew that with as much as the wound was bleeding, that it would almost highly be fatal. He whipped his head around as he heard a dark chuckling sound come from the cloud of dust that was starting to settle around a _very_ familiar form.

_No,_ Gohan thought in terror as he knew who it was, _but if he survived then…_

He instantly started to look around for his father, but he could not see or sense the Ki that was so familiar to him. Gohan felt slightly angered.

_Why? Why does this __**thing**__ get to be alive, but still I can't find… _Gohan thought angrily as he stared at the form now surrounded by dust. He almost had the mind to go and punch the object that was now causing him so much pain.

"Cell, you monster, look what you did to Trunks!" Gohan stated instead, almost in disbelief. He still couldn't believe that Cell was still alive.

_**Even after all the suffering we caused him,**_ Gohan heard the voice in his head again say. Gohan could then tell that 'the voice' was getting amused by what it said next, _**oh well, I guess he just needs a bit more punishment to stay dead.**_

_Stupid voice,_ Gohan thought to himself, not really sure if it could read his thoughts or not. He then tried to talk back to it,

_No, I am not going to listen to you anymore; it's your fault that daddy's… _Gohan thought but then stopped as the voice answered him.

_**Well, you're no fun… **_it stated in an almost annoyed tone.

_I really __**hate**__ how you sound like me,_ Gohan thought to himself.

_**That's not my fault,**_ the voice said, almost like it was mocking him. Personally, it annoyed Gohan almost as much as Vegeta.

_So you can read my mind_, Gohan started but was then stopped as 'the voice' interrupted him again.

_**Yeah, what else do you want to know?**_

_Again, with the annoying tone?_ _Uh yeah, can you stop interrupting me?_ Gohan asked in a slightly rude tone, annoyed at the voice that kept invading his mind. Although this time, there was no answer.

_Great, what a waste of time,_ Gohan thought, annoyed, as he turned his attention back to Cell.

"I really hadn't counted on regenerating. I was lucky." Cell stated as he stared at Gohan, almost as if he knew that the half Saiyan hadn't been paying attention.

_I probably missed his whole life story or something,_ Gohan thought, _I really need to ask someone about what I missed later._

"Even better, now I'm complete without Android 18. And I've powered up greatly," Cell continued his little 'speech', "It must have been my Saiyan cells- a boost in power after a brush with death. I've even learned to teleport like Goku. So I've come back more perfect than ever. Goku didn't defeat me at all. He just made me **better**."

That last sentence infuriated Gohan. He didn't understand quite why, but he guessed it had something to do with that stupid voice inside his head making him annoyed as well.

_Made you what? Made you __**better**__?_ Gohan thought in anger, _How can __**you**__ be any better than you recently were? All because of you, daddy's gone. And he's never coming back!_

Gohan didn't know what happened next. He felt something push on that power that he thought was impossible to reach again; pulling it upward and with that kind of pressure made his power level skyrocket. Next thing he knew, he was in his new form again: Super Saiyan 2. He smirked confidently at the android.

"You don't scare me Cell," Gohan stated as his power finally came to a resting place, "One thing that I learned from my father is that to never run away from a fight, even when the odds are stacked against. My father died because of my arrogance; I will defeat you, but I'm sure he would rather be here taking care of you himself."

_**Not bad,**_ the voice returned, piping in with an impressed tone, _**you're actually getting better at this.**_

_Just leave,_ Gohan stated harshly, _I don't need you to be bossing me around, and I certainly don't need you now._

Luckily, the voice actually obeyed him for once and was quiet.

"Oh really," Cell stated in a mocking tone, one similar to the voice inside his head, "haven't we been here before? I don't think it'll work out as well for you this time."

Suddenly, Gohan heard a scream from beside him. And strangely enough, the scream came from Vegeta. The Prince of all Saiyans quickly turned Super Saiyan and launched himself at the green android; firing multiple Ki blasts at the android for several minutes. Gohan stood bewildered where he stood. He knew that what Vegeta was doing was a bad move; every Ki blast that the full Saiyan fired was draining his overall Ki until he would be too weak to fight. Gohan knew Vegeta was angry, but at what he was not certain. Then he remembered: Trunks. Vegeta was angry at Cell for killing Trunks!

_Wow, he really does have a heart, _Gohan thought in surprise, glad for once that 'the voice' did not interfere with his thoughts.

"Vegeta," Gohan heard Krillin say in an annoyed tone, "why did you have to go and do that? We could have just wished Trunks back to life with the dragon balls."

Suddenly, Vegeta stopped. The Prince of all Saiyans, exhausted and spent, floated in the air for a few moments; that is until Cell's shape appeared out from the dust that the attack had made.

"It's not over until I say it's over," Cell said as he came flying out at Vegeta, "And now, it's over!"

"No!" Gohan yelled as Cell swung his arm at the exhausted Saiyan. He didn't know why he cared, he just did. Maybe it was for Bulma's sake, or even Trunks. Most likely for Trunks's; it's possible that he didn't want the poor kid to grow up without a father. Gohan saw Vegeta land harshly on the ground below, and not move after that. He really hoped that Vegeta wasn't dead, but he figured that the Saiyan was just passed out. Gohan then looked quickly up at Cell and saw that the android was charging a strong Ki blast that could possibly kill Vegeta at the state he was in.

"Stay out of my way Vegeta!" Cell yelled as he released the ball of Ki. Gohan didn't really know what compelled him to do what he did next; it's just that something did. He flung himself at Vegeta just as the Ki blast reached its mark. Gohan screamed as pain once again flooded through him. Then, everything went black.

* * *

><p>The next thing Gohan heard was Cell, who was apparently above him.<p>

"Well, this was a **bonus**," he heard the android say. When he opened his eyes, Gohan saw Vegeta in front of him, but safe.

_Well, that's a relief,_ Gohan thought as he started to get up. But one thing Gohan wasn't counting on was the pain he would feel next. It spread like a wildfire through his whole body, but was centered mostly around one area: his left arm. He looked over at it as he tried to keep his balance. Blood was dripping down his arm in a huge amount; he could even hear the sound of it when it hit the ground, already forming a puddle underneath it.

_Darn it,_ Gohan thought as he felt like he might be sick, _forgot to think before I acted._

_**Really? That's all you're worried about?**_ The voice inside his head stated angrily. _**Why didn't you let him die?**_

_Um, good question… I don't know. Instinct? _Gohan tried to answer back as best as he could, but he was already getting dizzy from blood loss and exhaustion. The last thing he wanted to listen to was the 'made-up' voice inside his head berating him for everything he did wrong or what he should do.

"Enough fooling around. I've let this go on too long." Cell said as Gohan looked up at the android. Cell was already floating down to the ground and Gohan knew he had something planned.

_Cell's power has increased more than I imagined, _Gohan thought with horror.

"None of you will walk away," Cell said as he started to form a pose that was similar to Gohan, "you will die- along with the Earth!"

The blue ball of light continued to grow as Cell powered up his final attack: the Solar Kamehameha.

_Dad, I'm sorry. I should have been able to save the Earth from Cell… but I failed,_ Gohan thought with regret.

"I can't believe I was only a liability. I'm sorry Gohan," Vegeta said from behind him. Gohan knew that saying that was a major blow to the Saiyan Prince's pride.

_Vegeta apologized?_ Gohan thought with confusion, then coming to a conclusion, _He knows. He knows there's no hope._

"What's wrong, little warrior? Has your 'incredible power' died?" Cell asked mockingly.

"Just get it over with. I know it's pointless to resist. I just wish I could have defeated you earlier." Gohan said, not knowing what to do. He knew everyone was counting on him, but he didn't know if he could save them, not this time.

"Well, this is a dull ending. But I won't complain," Cell said as the light from his Ki got brighter, "**Oblivion to everything!**"

"Gohan don't you dare give up!" Gohan heard his father's voice, almost wanting to cry with relief. But when he looked around for his father, he couldn't see him.

"Daddy? Where are you?" Gohan questioned as he looked around.

"I'm with King Kai in the Other World," he heard his father say; "he is letting me speak to you through telepathy. Now come on, fire off a Kamehameha just like Cell. I'll help you! I know you can win!"

"But dad," Gohan stated in an almost whining tone, "I have the use of only one of my arms, and my Ki is cut in half."

"You can do it! Believe in yourself! One last time- show me the power we made together!" he heard Goku say encouragement to him once again.

"I'll do my best…" Gohan stated but he could tell that his 'enthusiasm' wasn't very convincing.

"There we go! I don't want to have died for nothing! Avenge me and King Kai!" Goku said once again in an encouraging tone.

"I'm sorry dad. I let you die because I got too confident…" Gohan started to say again but was cut off by his father.

"Forget about it! I'm having a great time here with King Kai! You have fun on Earth too ok?"

_Ok,_ Gohan thought as he tried to summon as much of his remaining Ki as possible; drawing back his right arm and gathering Ki in it. He could feel shock radiated from everyone's Ki including Cell's.

"Ka… me… ha… me…" Gohan said the syllables one by one as the Ki in his hand got stronger. He could feel his father's presence with him, and it made him feel stronger. He knew no matter what that he at least had to try, even if he did end up failing in the end.

"DIE!" Cell yelled as he released his Kamehameha at last.

"HAAA!" Gohan yelled as soon as Cell released his attack to counter with his own. The two blasts collided, tearing up the ground below and shaking the Earth with the impact. Dust flew in all directions as the beam struggle started, but from the start you could tell that Cell's blast was stronger.

"Hang on Gohan!" Goku's voice rang out in his son's head, "you haven't used all of your power yet! Let it rip!"

"I'm doing my best," Gohan said through clenched teeth, trying to hide the pain and exhaustion he was feeling, "I can't do any more!"

"You're holding back! Trying not to destroy the planet!" Goku said as he voiced one of Gohan's fears, "the dragon balls can fix it! Don't worry about it! Just let it out!"

Gohan could then feel himself slipping; Cell's Ki beam was getting closer, and Gohan didn't know how much longer he could hold on. He then felt his friends' Kis coming closer; he tried to warn them that they were going to get hurt if they tried to help, but they just kept continuing to fight.

"Goodbye!" Cell yelled as he saw that Gohan was losing. Suddenly, something caught the android off guard. Gohan instantly knew that Vegeta had fired a strong Ki blast at the android, distracting him for a moment.

"Do it NOW!" Gohan heard his father's voice ring out clearly in his mind just as something push upward on the power that was still dormant in him. He finally let go as all the energy he had in him left in the final explosion of the beam battle. He heard Cell yell something, but he was too weak to understand it. As the smoke cleared, Gohan's hair and eyes turned back to their normal black color, and he landed on the hard ground below. He saw his friends fly closer and then alight to the ground around him.

"I can't believe it…" Tien stated breathlessly.

"Great job kid," Yamcha stated as he picked Gohan up as gently as he could, "don't worry, we'll get you to Dende; he can heal you without a Senzu."

"Sorry about the mess," Gohan stated out of breath, before darkness once again covered his vision.

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><p>Gohan was trying to remember everything when he was thinking in his mind. Darkness was still all he could see, but he could sense his friends just beyond his sleep. He could also sense another Ki.<p>

_**Your welcome,**_ he heard the voice say.

_For what? _Gohan answered back, confused. What did he have to thank the voice for?

_**For saving you, **_the voice said, and Gohan could already tell it was getting distant.

_Wait! _Gohan yelled out to the voice, _who are you? How did you save me?_

_**Don't worry,**_ the distant voice said, _**you will understand everything soon.**_

Gohan couldn't call out to the voice anymore; he was too weak. Unconsciousness then came over him once again.

* * *

><p><em>What was the last thing Cell said?<em> Gohan thought as he felt his strength returning quickly. _Was it 'I am perfect' or 'I love cornbread'?_

Suddenly, Gohan heard a familiar voice ring through his head. He opened his eyes and saw Dende sitting beside him. His friends had formed a circle around him as well.

"Gohan!" the little green Namekian stated excitedly, "I am so glad you're ok!" Then Dende's voice turned sad, "I mean, I'm really sorry about your father."

"Don't be," Gohan stated loud enough for everyone to hear, but he was mostly saying it to encourage himself, "he was there with me, through the whole battle; cheering me on."

"Are you sure Gohan?" Krillin asked, not really sure if Gohan was hallucinating or not.

"Yep, I'm sure. He was so close that I felt I could have touched him." Gohan stated truthfully.

"Dende, could you heal her too?" Krillin asked as he layed Android 18's body down by the new guardian. He got a nod from Dende, and a blue light then surrounded the android. As soon as it was gone, Android 18's eyes flung open. She immediately jumped into a guarding stance.

"Dende, you better get away or she'll kill you!" Yamcha shouted from a distance.

"No, she won't," Krillin said as he looked back at Yamcha, "you're at the Lookout. You don't need to worry anymore. Gohan defeated Cell."

"Gohan?" her surprise was clear as it took her a second or two to register the information.

"Yeah he's incredibly strong, so there will be not head chopping today." Yamcha's voice rang out from the back again.

"You should thank Krillin," Piccolo suddenly cut in, "he was the one who cared for you after Cell vomited you out."

"Well, I couldn't just leave you there," Krillin said defensively as everyone stared at him. Suddenly, a thought hit Gohan. He was going to keep it in his head, but it slipped out as soon as he thought of it.

"I get it," he said quickly, "Krillin, you have a crush on Android 18!"

For Gohan's great discovery, he was rewarded with a smack on his head.

"She's standing right there!" Krillin said as Gohan rubbed the back of his head.

"Don't kid yourself. You really think you have a chance with me, you shriveled shrimp?" Android 18 stated coldly as she flew away.

"What's with her attitude? She's looking to get clobbered!" Yamcha put in as he suddenly can closer to the group.

"Not by you though," Tien stated to Yamcha.

"Our first task is to revive everyone who was killed by Cell with the dragon balls," Piccolo put in before the conversation got too strange. As the dragon balls started to glow, Gohan looked at Krillin.

"Don't worry, Krillin, you still have us as friends," he said to his adoptive uncle.

"Do me a favor," Krillin said sulkily, "be quiet."

Suddenly, the dragon Shenron appeared in the sky and Yamcha stated their first wish,

"Please bring back to life everyone Cell killed."

Gohan turned around as he heard groaning behind him.

"Trunks!" he stated joyfully as he helped his friend up.

"I don't feel Goku's Ki," Piccolo said suddenly, "it didn't work."

"Can't you please bring back Goku somehow?" Yamcha asked, "we really need him on this planet.

"That cannot be. Son Goku has died and come back to life once before. Ask me another." Shenron said. Everyone looked at the ground when they heard a voice echo across the Lookout.

"Hey guys, listen. I'm talking to you from the Other World," Goku's voice rang out as he talked. "Bulma told me once that I attract bay guys. And I kinda think she's right. Earth'll have a better shot at peace if I'm not around. King Kai agrees with me. Hey, I'm not being a martyr! They're going to give me special treatment here since I saved the planet. Regular people and bad guys like Cell turn into spirits, but I can keep my body, I won't age anymore, and I get to meet all of the great martial artists from history! King Kai could ask the dragon to wish him back too, but he's staying to keep me company. Either way, Gohan's stronger than me now. I have nothing left to teach him."

"But that doesn't mean that I don't need you!" Gohan shouted into the sky, trying to keep from crying again. But his father seemed to ignore his plea.

"Well, I guess I will see you guys later!"

And with that, Goku's voice disappeared.

"Ahem. I am still waiting for that second wish. Hello?" Shenron cut in at last.

"Well my girlfriend's been wanting an expensive necklace…" Yamcha started to say. Gohan was confused by that statement, but he decided to let it go.

"Shenron, could you turn Androids 17 and 18 back into humans?" Krillin asked the green dragon; Gohan guessed that he didn't even know that he had interrupted Yamcha.

"Alas, their powers are too great and strange. My own powers cannot affect such creatures against their will," Shenron stated.

"Then how about this," Krillin asked after he had been silent for a few moments, "could you at least take the bombs out of their bodies?"

"Yes, it does not weaken them or change the fundamental nature of their beings," Shenron stated as his eyes glowed red and then dimmed, "It is done. The bombs are no more. Fare you well."

Gohan watched in amazement as the dragon turned to a blinding white light, and the dragon balls turned to stone and dispersed across the planet; not to be found for another whole year.

"Krillin, why did you wish for that?" Trunks asked his friend after a few moments of silence.

"I felt bad for them. Imagine having a bomb in your body," Krillin stated quickly.

"You're a sweet guy," Gohan stated softly even though some part of him knew that Krillin only used that as an excuse.

"I'm sorry you couldn't get the necklace for your girlfriend, Yamcha." Krillin said as he turned towards his long-time friend.

"The…" Yamcha started almost in confusion, and then started nervously laughing, "can't you tell a joke when you hear one? You think I'd use Shenron for something that dumb?"

"Krillin, I thought you like Android 18," Tien questioned from his place where he was leaning on a pillar, "So why remove the bomb from Android 17?"

"Well, yeah… I do like her," Krillin started nervously, "and I know Android 17 is the perfect guy for her."

_Is this what is known as "love"?_ Gohan heard Piccolo ask him through their link, _I do not understand it…_

Gohan inwardly laughed at his mentor's words, knowing that he was in the same situation as his long-time friend. Suddenly, a shape quickly rounded one of the pillars at the Lookout. The shape was revealed to be a disbelieving Android 18.

"You moron, Android 17 and I are twins!" She yelled directly at Krillin. Gohan was more surprised to see her than what she had just said; he thought that she had left a while ago.

"Don't get the wrong idea!" Android 18 continued, "And don't think that I am yours just because you took the bomb out of my body!"

She then turned around to leave, but stopped.

"Although it was nice of you," she said, looking back at Krillin, "Later."

And with that Android 18 flew off, and Gohan hoped it was for good this time; he hated how she kind of kept insulting Krillin.

"Hey, she said 'Later'!" Yamcha suddenly said with his voice full of enthusiasm, "that means you still have a chance!"

Everyone started to laugh at that, no matter how true it was; the fact was that it was still strange. Then the atmosphere got quiet and gloomy.

"It's kind of hard to feel hopeful," Krillin stated with his head bowed, "without Goku being around."

"Well, I'd better be getting back home. Chaotzu's probably worried about me. I know you can beat the androids now Trunks, but good luck." Tien said his goodbyes as he flew off in the direction of Kami house.

"I guess we should get going too," Krillin said after a few moments. Then Gohan remembered something.

"Trunks, when are you going back to your timeline?" he asked the older half Saiyan.

"I'm going to rest up tonight and then head out in the morning," Trunks answered. They all agreed to then see him off in the morning.

"Piccolo, are you going to be living here now?" Gohan asked his mentor.

"That's my plan," Piccolo said as he stared at the half Saiyan.

"Then can I come visit you and Dende sometime?" Gohan asked. He knew it got pretty lonely up on the Lookout, and plus he wanted to see his old mentor more than just in times of trouble. He got a nod for his answer. Everyone then soon parted ways, flying back in the direction of where they were staying. Gohan would normally be flying home with his father, but because of the circumstances that the Cell Games left him with, Gohan would be flying home alone. He once again felt his mentor reach out to him through the link that they shared.

_Hey, kid?_ Piccolo asked. Gohan could feel that his mentor had something important to ask him. _Something on your mind?_

_ No,_ Gohan lied as he answered back. Of course he had stuff on his mind, his father had just died and there was a creepy voice inside his head. Piccolo seemed to pick up on the lie that he was telling and instead took a different approach.

_Gohan, you seemed distracted today when Cell came back,_ Piccolo urged, _I also felt another Ki in your mind. What is going on?_

_ Nothing,_ Gohan said a bit rudely. He didn't want anyone to figure out about 'the voice'. No one needed to know. Then he remembered his rudeness to his mentor and answered nicer this time.

_I'm sorry, Mr. Piccolo. I guess I am just a bit tired. That's all. Hope to see you soon, anyway._

Gohan then closed off the link before his mentor could ask him anymore and flew home in his thoughts.

_So they can sense you,_ Gohan thought with his mind on 'the voice', _I have a lot more to ask you, so you should be prepared for the bombardment of your life._

* * *

><p>So how was that? Sorry it was so long, but there was a lot of stuff going on. I am celebrating when I post this though, because it is the longest chapter I have written so far: 26 pages in Microsoft Word! Yay! Well anyway, I would like to know your thoughts on this chapter as well as what you think of 'the voice'. Is it a little rude to ask for reviews? I have been getting near two reviews most of the time; I don't want to sound selfish but it is easier to get a new chapter out when you have a constant reminder, right? Either way, thanks to all of you reading out there; you guys rock! Anyway, please R&amp;R!<p>

-AnimeWolfGirl9


	9. Things Change So Fast

Hello everyone, AnimeWolfGirl9 here! I hope everyone is excited because things are going to start to change into the main plot for this fanfiction soon. Oh yeah, I forgot to put this in the last author's note at the end of the last chapter, but every time Krillin just abandons Gohan and runs over to Android 18, I always think "Wow, Krillin, you are such a supportive uncle!". No offense to him though, it's just what I think. Either way, I hope you enjoy this next chapter!

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 9: Things Change So Fast<span>

Gohan stopped in mid-air for a moment when he saw his house in the distance. He thought for a moment.

_Maybe if daddy did come back to life, he would have come back home._ Gohan thought hopefully, but then he knew that wasn't true. Piccolo had said that he hadn't felt Goku's Ki when they wished for everyone to be revived.

_And, he even told you himself that he wasn't coming back,_ a small part of his mind reminded him. He wasn't sure if it was the voice or not, he just knew one thing:

_Great, I have to tell mom that I basically killed daddy. Why do I get to tell everyone all of the bad news?_

Gohan knew he was mostly worried about his mother and how she would react. He was also worried that he would not get smacked with a certain frying pan. He sensed his grandpa's Ki with his mother, so he knew that he wouldn't be alone for the tirade that would follow suit. Gohan was never really scared of his dad, except when he got angry which was rare, but when his mother got on a tirade; let's just say it never ended well.

Gohan flew down to the ground when he was a few feet from his house. He walked up to the wooden door and waited outside for a few seconds, wondering how he was going to tell everyone that his father wasn't coming back. He took a deep breath and then stepped into the house. The first thing he noticed was that the house was nearly completely destroyed.

_And why did I see the TV laying outside under a tree?_ Gohan thought with a bit of confusion. Then he figured out that his mother must have gone on a wild rampage. The second thing he noticed was three people sitting around their kitchen table that somehow got into the living room. He saw his mother, grandpa Ox-King, and fortuneteller Baba. His mother turned around when she heard the door open.

"Gohan, thank Dende that you're safe!" Chi-Chi said as she ran over and hugged her son. Gohan could see that her eyes were somewhat red from crying. The stone that was his guilt buried even deeper as he thought of how he had worried her. Then she noticed the state he was in.

"Gohan, what happened to your clothes?" she asked as she noticed how bad of a shape he was in, "you should go change into something nicer."

Gohan inwardly sighed in relief as he started to make his way down the hall to his bedroom. He looked behind him to see his mother looking around in confusion.

"Mom, is anything wrong?" Gohan asked with a bit of unease. He saw his mother look over at him, still looking confused.

"Yeah, Gohan, where is your father?" Chi-Chi asked him.

_Oh no,_ Gohan thought, _now I wish I hadn't asked!_

"Um, well mom, he isn't coming back," Gohan said slowly and nervously. His mother stared at him for a second and then started to laugh.

"Gohan, come on now. Stop playing this game. Tell your father to come inside now and I will start to make dinner," his mother stated between her laughs. Gohan felt like crying.

_She isn't taking me seriously!_ Gohan thought with despair. He knew that if he started to cry that it would be a childish thing to do, and he didn't want to worry his mother anymore. He took a deep breath before replying.

"Mom, he isn't coming back. Cell was going to blow up the Earth and Dad teleported him away and was caught in the explosion. He didn't come back when Cell did and he didn't want us to wish him back to life so he is…" Gohan started out stronger than he felt, but then stopped speaking when he noticed his mother was silent. She suddenly fell to the floor and he saw tears start to run down her face.

_What have I done?_ Gohan questioned himself as he ran over to his mother; _I could have been a bit more sympathetic!_

"It's ok mom," Gohan said softly as he tried to comfort her, "don't worry. Everything is going to be fine. Daddy did what he thought was the best for us."

Gohan had wanted to say "what was best for the Earth", but he thought is sounded a bit too harsh and selfish; plus he didn't want to upset his mother anymore.

"He's always been like that, hasn't he?" Gohan heard his mother whisper after a while. He had been sitting on the floor beside her while his grandfather had been trying to calm his mother down.

"Gohan, why didn't you change your clothes yet?" he heard his mother say with a tint of harshness to her voice. He saw that she had now stood up, with the support of his grandfather.

"But, I was trying to… and you were… and…" Gohan sputtered out in confusion.

"Gohan, I told you to go get changed. Now go do just that while I make dinner," Chi-Chi said as she walked into the kitchen, dismissing everyone else in the room. His grandfather gave him a look of confusion and sympathy before going to help Chi-Chi. Gohan walked into his room bewildered. He sat down on his bed and put his head in his hands, thinking everything through; and the more he thought, the angrier and more upset he became.

_Well, I'm sorry; all I was trying to do was help!_ Gohan thought as he changed out of his torn Gi and into a new outfit; the same one that he was wearing when he first met Lime. He took a deep breath to steady himself before he opened the door and walked out into the hallway. He could tell that his mother was already done making dinner because of the tempting aromas that were coming from the kitchen. Gohan looked at the clock and saw that it was near six in the evening. He remembered that he arrived home somewhere near four-thirty.

_Was I really in my room that long? It felt like a short time, _Gohan thought as he walked towards the kitchen. He saw that dinner was already stacked on the kitchen table; ham, potatoes, bread, tomato soup and many other foods lined the table in a somewhat neat array. As Gohan sat down, he saw that his grandfather and mother had been waiting for him.

"Gohan, what took you so long?" Chi-Chi asked him. Gohan wanted to answer truthfully, but he didn't want to worry his mother about all of the things going through his head.

"Oh, nothing much; I just had a lot of stuff to think about," Gohan knew he was somewhat lying by not telling the whole truth, but he didn't want to make things any more complicated. As dinner continued, Gohan started to wonder about what happened while he had been at the Cell Games.

"Grandpa, why is the TV outside on the lawn?" Gohan questioned one of the many thoughts going through his head.

"Oh it's nothing to worry about really; your mother just went on a _little_ tirade." His grandfather the Ox-King said; he looked like he was going to say more, but he was interrupted by a now fuming Chi-Chi.

"It wasn't _little_! I was worried sick about you, Gohan!" Chi-Chi nearly screamed at the top of her lungs, almost making her son choke on whatever he was eating at the moment and making the Ox-King stop his fork from entering his mouth. Once Gohan had gotten over his momentary choking, his face only showed surprise and confusion. Chi-Chi took this as a sign that he couldn't believe that she had been worried about him, but in fact she was entirely wrong.

"Seriously Gohan, are you that surprised that your mother would worry about you!" Chi-Chi was still in a rage as she said this and both the Ox-King and Gohan looked scared as she started to reach for the frying pan behind her.

"No, it's nothing like that!" Gohan stated worriedly as he stood up and started to back towards his room, "It's just that… um, I'm going to try and catch up on schoolwork now!"

Gohan ran into his room and did one thing he never did unless in dire situations, and that was lock his door. He slumped down against the closed door and tried to block out the sounds of his mother and grandfather arguing from the other section of the house. He put his head in his hands and clutched at some of his black hair, trying to think calmly and not go on a rampage of his own.

_What did I do to make her mad? All I was worried about was how mad she got all of a sudden. That's not something to get punished about!_ Gohan then suddenly started to get scared because he kept wondering if something was wrong or if his mother was sick. He took a deep breath before continuing to think.

_Dad, why did you need to leave now? If mom is sick, I'm not sure how to take care of her the right way. Why did you leave? Mom needs you. I need you. _And Gohan continued to think, but the way he was thinking wasn't normally what he would think; his thoughts would suddenly become savage and angry at his father for leaving, but then he would get sad at his _failure_.

_What is wrong with me?_ Gohan thought miserably as he forcefully clutched at his ebony hair. He sighed as he stood up and walked over to his desk, not too eager to start and catch up with the mound of school work he had to do.

* * *

><p>"A tournament?" Gohan asked to make sure he had heard Krillin right. They were flying back from a sparring session. Apparently the short amount of time that had passed was too long for the Z fighters to be separated.<p>

"Yeah, X.S. Cash is hosting one in honor of his son's birthday," Krillin stated. Two days had passed since the Cell Games, and since Gohan nearly got smacked with the frying pan of doom. When he had asked his mother if she was feeling alright later that night, she had just told him that she was a bit tired.

"So, what do you think? Do you want to join?" Krillin asked, whipping Gohan out of his thoughts, "I know that Tien, Piccolo, Yamcha, and I are already signed up. I think Trunks is going to participate too."

Gohan knew that Trunks would probably join. Trunks had come back from the future that morning, telling them that he had defeated the androids and that his mother (future Bulma) told him to come back and tell everyone the good news.

"I don't know, maybe. I need to ask my mom first," Gohan finally said to answer Krillin's question.

"Well, ok. Not sure what Chi-Chi would say to that, but guess I will see you later," Krillin answered as they both saw the Son house in the distance.

"Ok, see you later Krillin!" Gohan said as he got ready to fly towards his house, but a hand on his shoulder made him stop.

"Hey, Gohan, if you need anything, just ask. Ok?" Krillin said in a soft tone. Gohan didn't know what to say at first. He knew Krillin was always caring for him; he just didn't want to be a bother that much.

"Ok, I will. Anyway, see you later." Gohan said as he quickly flew down to the ground, wanting to avoid any more uncomfortable conversations. He knew for sure that everyone was worried about him since he had just lost his father, but he didn't want to be a bother to anyone; especially to those who didn't deserve it.

"Mom, I'm home," Gohan called as he entered the front door. His mother was in the kitchen and, as usual, was cooking lunch.

"Gohan, how was training?" Chi-Chi asked sweetly as he entered the room. Gohan felt a pang of guilt. He knew that his mother was having it harder than him, and that it was all his fault.

"It was good," Gohan answered as he was contemplating on asking her about what Krillin had said, "Mom, Krillin told me about a tournament that is coming up soon. He wants me to join, but I wanted to make sure it was ok with you first."

Gohan knew he had to be more careful around his mother lately. She seemed to get more irritated easily, and he didn't want to make things any harder than he had already. Part of him actually wanted her to say 'no' to the tournament, and Gohan didn't know why, but it gave him an uneasy feeling.

"Sure, you can go," Chi-Chi said as she turned to check on the stove, "I believe it would be fine since all you have been doing since the Cell Games was study."

Gohan knew his mother was right; all he had done was catch up on school work, but as soon as she said the words 'Cell' and 'games' in the same sentence, he felt a strange feeling rise up.

"Um, Mom, if it's ok, I'm going to go rest before lunch. We did a lot of training and I am kind of tired," Gohan stated as he walked towards his room. He knew he was lying; they had only done minor training as a warm up today, and Gohan couldn't help but wonder if it was since they might have been worried about his arm that had been broken two days ago.

_Well they don't have to worry; I'm fine._ Gohan thought with a hint of agitation as he closed his door. He didn't lock it; that was forbidden in the Son house; although if things got bad enough, Gohan was sure that he would have the right to lock his door. It was _his_ room after all.

Gohan walked over to his bed and sat down, resting his feet on the floor. He looked over at his desk and, pausing for a moment, walked over to it. There was nothing out of the ordinary; books still in place from last night's studying, light turned off, and everything still in place; something was just telling him to look. He bent down and opened the top drawer. Gohan smiled when he saw what was inside: his journal- both Super Saiyan observation and his normal one- the knife his father had given him, as well as the memory capsule and the orange Gi similar to his father's. But two things that caught his eyes were lying beneath those objects. They were two pictures in simple frames; one was of Gohan, when he was four, at Kami house, and the other was taken just a few days before the Cell Games had occurred. It showed the Z fighters, Krillin, Gohan, and Goku. It had been taken in the same place as the other picture, but instead of stirring happy memories, it just made Gohan angry and sad. He shoved both of the pictures back into the drawer and slammed it shut, going back to his bed but not lying down; instead he started to pace around his room.

_Why can one picture bring back so many unwanted memories?_ Gohan fumed as he suddenly felt his power level rising. He sat down on his bed, alarmed, and put his head in his hands, clutching at some of his hair and taking shaky breaths.

_What is wrong with me?_ Gohan repeated the question that had haunted him since the Cell Games. He knew he was different since then; he knew he had changed, and he didn't like it at all. He lay down on his side and curling into a ball, fell asleep.

* * *

><p>Gohan kept dodging the punches, kicks, and lunges that other fighters in the arena were throwing at him. The day of the tournament had finally arrived and, so far, everyone was doing well. Well, except Yamcha, he was just sitting on top of a globe in the sky. Gohan didn't know what had gotten into him. Most of the fighters were no match at all, but when the one-on-one fights started, Gohan got partially excited. He was especially excited when he had to verse a fighter named Chongan.<p>

Chongan was at least ten feet taller than Gohan, and Gohan was guessing that the fighter could have sat on him too. Chongan had literally blown through the preliminaries of the tournament, and that was going to make it all the more fun for Gohan. Before he knew it, Chongan was standing in front of him, the match almost about to begin. The blond haired man chuckled when he saw who his opponent was.

"Hey kid, I'm not that into beating up children so why don't you just walk away before you get hurt," Chongan stated confidently.

"Ok, I'm ready," Gohan bowed, ignoring his opponent's last comment. He kind of felt sorry for the fighter, poor guy didn't know what he was getting himself into. As soon as the official said "Begin!", Gohan already saw a flaw in Chongan's fighting stance. He quickly slid forward and kicked at his opponent's left ankle. Chongan, not prepared for the attack, was sent flying and then crashing into a nearby cliff; making Gohan the winner. The rest of the matches were won quickly (with the exception of Trunks and Tien) with the semi-finalists being Krillin, Future Trunks, Gohan, and a fighter named Jaw-long. The semi-final round rules were simple. Each fighter would be sent to a virtually made area that served as the arena and would fight one of the 'aliens'. Whoever beat their opponent and got to the finish first would win.

_Seems simple enough,_ Gohan thought; the platforms bringing the fighters towards their planes that would take them to the arena. Gohan was interrupted from his thoughts by a loud voice in the stands.

"Go get them, Gohan!" he heard his mother yell from where she was sitting with Bulma and little Trunks.

"Mom, not so loud," Gohan stated softly as a blush of embarrassment crept across his face. He looked over to where Future Trunks was standing, hoping for some support from the older half Saiyan; but then he saw that Trunks was also embarrassed by his mother. Gohan inwardly laughed as they were strapped into their planes.

_Hehe… moms,_ Gohan smiled at the thought, _always know how to embarrass you._

The glass lid closed on each of the planes and then they were shot off to their destinations. Gohan looked around as the planes traveled, seeing that the area around them so far looked like a graph or like a time machine traveling. He was suddenly taken off guard when the planes split and then the scenery around him changed.

The plane landed and Gohan lightly stepped out of it, looking around in curiosity. The arena looked like it came out of child's coloring book or possibly a play room full of toys; baby dolls, giant blocks, balloons and other items surrounded him. Gohan was too busy looking around that he didn't realize a balloon that made its way over to him and popped in his face; the sudden noise scaring the half Saiyan. He gave a little shout as he realized that giant blocks were flying his way, looking like they had full intention of crushing him. Gohan quickly stood up and started to dodge all of the giant blocks just before they crushed him. He flipped backwards onto another giant block, looking around for his opponent. Before he had time to fully focus on his attacker, two sharp clock handles came flying towards him. Just as the clock handles were going to hit him, Gohan raised his power level, destroying the sharp objects in the process. He quickly saw his attacker floating a few feet in front of him. His opponent had blue skin, orange hair wrapped in a turban style, black pants, a dark blue shirt under a slightly lighter blue jacket and a strange triangle shaped pendent around its neck.

_Must be one of the 'aliens' I'm supposed to fight,_ Gohan thought as he looked closer at his attacker, _but that can't be right. He looks too real to be a machine and I am pretty sure that his attacks are too strong to be some actor that they must have hired._

"Watch it, you could have killed me!" Gohan almost yelled. He was mad, this was supposed to be a tournament, no killing, and it seemed as if his opponent had been trying to do just that.

"You have no idea," the alien stated as it chuckled evilly. The pendent around its neck glowed and then the setting changed to a heavily dense forest. Gohan got into a fighting position, now knowing that this was too dangerous to be real.

"Ok, you have my attention," Gohan said as he stared intently at his opponent. He thought that the alien would attack him, but instead it teleported. Gohan felt for its Ki and saw that the alien had moved further away, apparently into one of the other arenas.

_If he thinks he is smart by trying to run away, he's mistaken. I can still sense his Ki,_ Gohan thought as he started to fly towards where the alien teleported to, _I wonder how Trunks and Krillin are doing. If these guys aren't normal, then we are going to have our hands full._

Gohan kind of felt sorry for Jaw-long, the poor guy was going to be going up against something that could possibly kill the human being. He hoped that that wouldn't be the case. As soon as he entered a ruined city looking arena, Gohan felt Trunks and Krillin's low Kis near him. He quickly sped up until he came to a charred looking building, his friends' bodies below him on the ground.

"Trunks!" Gohan yelled as he touched the ground and ran over to his friends, bending down and trying to wake them, "come on Krillin, wake up!"

He suddenly turned around and stood up as he felt a strong power level approaching from inside the building. He knew that the power level must have been coming from one of the aliens; Gohan guessed that the alien was almost as strong as Cell's semi-perfect form, but what worried him the most was that the alien was definitely not in his strongest form. He saw three more aliens appear, one of them being the one that Gohan had seen earlier.

"It's been awhile," Gohan snapped his head to look at the doorway of the building as he heard a voice, "since I snapped someone's neck."

Gohan inwardly cringed when he saw the figure that belonged to the huge power level that he had felt earlier. The alien looked almost exactly like the other one he had seen earlier, except this one was taller and more muscular.

_Well, nice morals, _Gohan thought gravely. He was going to have to go up against four aliens alone. Suddenly he felt two power levels rapidly approaching them, and he instantly knew who they were before seeing them.

_Yamcha, Tien, what in the world are they doing here?_ Gohan thought worriedly. Just as Gohan had predicted, the two said people landed on the ground on either side of him. He could tell through their Kis that they were angry about something.

"Murderers," he heard Yamcha say bitterly. Gohan blinked in surprise as he stared at the aliens.

_Murderers?_ Gohan questioned in his mind, but then told himself to ask them later. He then looked back at the aliens and saw that they were all in some kind of strange pose, and all he heard from Tien was,

"Not while we're still here."

_Why does this always happen to me?_ Gohan mentally smacked himself, _you know what? This time, I hope that I missed their whole life story and I won't even bother asking._

He saw both Tien and Yamcha lunged forward towards the aliens. He stood still, not sure of how to help. The aliens moved with great speed that Gohan had trouble seeing in his base form, sending both Tien and Yamcha into the wall behind him. He looked back at both of them and saw that they were too injured to do else more.

_Thanks guys,_ Gohan silently sent a word of thanks to his friends. At least he knew some of the aliens fighting styles, not a lot, but at least it was something to work with. He powered up to Super Saiyan form as three of the aliens gathered around him; he recalled their names being Bido, Bujin, and Zangya. Gohan punched at the nearest figure as it came rushing at him, and then jumped into the air to avoid a barricade of Ki blasts. He had just jumped onto a broken metal beam and was avoiding another barricade of punches and kicks from two of the aliens when a voice entered his head.

_**Would this be a bad time to interrupt?**_

_Yes, it would. You're really being distracting right now. _Gohan groaned as he knew that it was the voice again. _Can you get out of my head?_

_**If you mean physically appear in front of you, then no. If you mean stop talking to you, then yes. Oh yeah, you might want to watch out for the one above…**_ the voice stated inside his head, but was then cut off by Gohan.

_GET OUT OF MY HEAD! _Gohan yelled at the voice right before he felt a weight from above slam into him. Gohan groaned as he hit the ground.

_See? This is why you should not be talking to me, _Gohan said. He was already in a bad temper and he did not want to have the voice distracting him now.

_**Ok, Ok, I'm sorry. All I was trying to do was help.**_ The voice stated in an offended tone. Gohan didn't have time to answer back as suddenly all three aliens came rushing at him at the same time. He didn't really remember everything that happened next, all he knew was that he was getting thrown everywhere. Suddenly he felt a strong kind of rope around him. Gohan struggled as he tried to get free from the ropes holding him, but he felt his strength fading.

"You shouldn't try to struggle. The more you try to get free, the more Ki it drains until you pass out or die," he heard Bido say through the faze that was starting to cover his vision.

_Wow, so this is how I'm going to die,_ Gohan thought as he continued to struggle.

_**Yeah right, like I'm going to let that happen, **_the voice stated as Gohan started to feel weaker. Suddenly he felt something tug on his dormant power, but the ropes that held him also held that power back too.

_Ouch,_ Gohan thought as he felt sick from the sudden power increase and decrease.

_**Wow, that's a surprise. I thought that was going to work, it usually does. **_He heard the voice answer in confusion. Before the conversation could continue, Gohan heard a screaming that sounded a lot like…

_Hercule, _Gohan thought with sudden confusion and dread as he then saw the champion in a plane of his own, screaming his head off as it bounced in random directions.

_**Haha, really that's what they sent for backup? What can he do?**_ He heard the voice start to laugh inside his head at the predicament that the champion of the world was in. The voice then stopped as Gohan watched Hercule's plane come speeding towards the aliens, making them lose their concentration. Gohan, now released from the ropes, could only stare in horror as the world champion crashed into the ground.

_**Ok really? That's it; the second shocker of the day,**_ Gohan heard the voice say in amazement. He had nothing else to say to the voice. Gohan stared angrily at the leader of the aliens: Bojack. They simply stared at each other before Bojack lunged for him. Gohan jumped backwards and stood on top of a building. He was already feeling winded from the earlier fights and he wasn't sure if he could continue. Gohan suddenly got smacked backwards by a huge amount of energy. The next thing he knew was that he blacked out.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Hey, wake up! They need your help!<strong>_ Gohan groaned as the voice woke him from the blackness that he had been in.

_They?_ He asked in confusion.

_**Yes, they. Trunks and Vegeta are trying to ward the aliens off while you were taking a cat nap!**_ The voice yelled into his head, making him more alert. He stood up and felt Trunks and Vegeta's Kis in the distance; he also noticed that they were fading fast. He shook his head angrily as he started to fly towards where they were. He hated to admit it, but the voice had been right. He was sleeping while his friends were off fighting to protect him and everyone else. He quickly powered up to Super Saiyan again and then saw that both Vegeta and Trunks were to their limit. Bojack seemed to notice that Gohan was finally awake because he turned around to look at the half Saiyan. Then, as if on cue, three of the aliens surrounded Gohan and started to drain his Ki with the ropes. This time, Gohan knew no one would be there to help him. He could feel himself growing weaker even when he didn't struggle; even with the violent tugs on his dormant power trying to help, it was still wearing him out more. He felt his conscious slipping, but suddenly the ropes around him faded, only to be replaced by Bojack's arms.

"I was going to try and send a message to your father, but I guess you can tell him anyway on your trip to the Otherworld!" Bojack shouted as he started to tighten his grip on Gohan. Gohan, in turn, screamed as he felt his bones being crushed for the second time in two days. Just when his consciousness was going to fail him, he felt the grip loosen. He didn't have any strength left to hold himself in the air so he began to plummet towards the ground. Soon he felt himself stop falling and he opened his eyes only to see his father holding him.

_That's it. I'm dead;_ Gohan thought when he saw his father in front of him, but what his father said next was what surprised him.

"Gohan listen to me. You can beat them; you have the power to. I know you can do it. You're my son after all," Goku said to encourage his son. As soon as he appeared, he was gone, and Gohan was lying on the ground trying to get his thoughts in order.

"Was that Goku?" Bojack asked as he rubbed the sore spot on his face where the dead warrior had hit him.

_Yes, it was,_ Gohan thought as he stood up. He looked up towards the sky as he felt his Ki rising.

"I understand now, Father. You came back to save me, and I won't let you down!" Gohan yelled as he released his hidden power, once again becoming a Super Saiyan 2. Once the smoke cleared, Gohan turned around to face Bojack.

"I know your kind. You think you can just waltz in here and take our planet. But you forgot one thing: I'm my father's son!" Gohan yelled the last part and let his Ki flow out through him, shaking the ground and making lightning crackle around the island. Bujin, Bido, and Zangya all started to come attack him, but they were quickly disposed of. Bojack tried to attack him with a Ki blast, but Gohan dodged it and punched a hole right through the alien's stomach.

"Are there any last words you want to say before you die?" Bojack said, but then started spitting up blood. Gohan wasn't fazed; it seemed as if he had had to see a lot of torture in the past two days.

"Actually, there is one that comes to mind," Gohan stated as he drew his hands back and a blue light started to form in them. He saw that Bojack had quickly formed an attack to counter his. The two attacks were released at the same time, but Gohan's overcame Bojack's in the end, destroying the alien. The smoke cleared as Gohan heard a familiar voice in his head again.

_**Great job! Um, you do know that you are going to faint from exhaustion now.**_ The voice said in an almost concerned voice.

_No really I'm fine…_ Gohan started to answer but never got to finish. He instantly fell and hit the ground as darkness covered his vision.

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><p>The next thing Gohan knew was that he was in the hospital with Krillin and Trunks. They all started to laugh away as they talked about Hercule, who had now claimed to have defeated Bojack. Gohan didn't really mind, he was too exhausted to care. He fell asleep to the chatter of his friends, and a now safe planet.<p>

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><p>So how was that? I hope you liked it! I know that it was not exactly like the movie, but I wanted to mix it up a bit. This chapter also beat the last one in number of pages: 28! Also, I haven't been feeling well lately and I wanted to get this chapter out before vacation next week. You won't have to wait long though for chapter 10 because I am going to keep working on this fanfiction for a long time. Also, I am not sure what to say about the <em>DBZ Wipeout<em> fanfiction. I don't know that much about Wipeout, but I might try anyway. And, if you have looked on my profile page, you will have seen the list of fanfictions I need to start writing. I am going to be posting the first chapter of _Haunting Past_ soon, which I do need to tell you that it is related to this fanfiction a bit. Anyway, please R&R!

-AnimeWolfGirl9


	10. I Never Saw That Coming

Hope everyone is excited for this next chapter! Later on in this story, I might switch POVs of characters. I'll let you know in the author's note when the first one is made. Finally you now get to know who 'the voice' is. I can tell that some of you already have guesses and now we will see if you are right. On with the story!

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><p><span>Chapter 10: I Never Saw That Coming<span>

The area around him was surrounded by pitch black darkness. There was no light in the room, then again you could see perfectly clear in a circle around you. The only things residing in the endless darkness were rows of crystal mirrors; each reflecting whatever came into its line of view.

Gohan walked along the rows of mirrors, trying to find out if this was a dream or reality. Also, he kept hearing a voice calling to him through the darkness. He was sure that he had heard it before, but his exhausted mind did not give him any answers as to who it might be. So the only thing he could do was continue walking until he could either find a way out or find who was calling to him.

After what felt like hours of walking, Gohan thought he saw a figure ahead. He couldn't see it clearly because of the darkness, but he was sure someone was there.

_Either that or my mind is playing tricks on me,_ Gohan thought as he shook his head to make sure the figure was real. After about five attempts and the figure still did not fade, Gohan decided it was real and started to walk towards it. Just as Gohan was a few feet away from the figure, it spoke.

_**So you're finally here,**_ the owner of the voice said in an almost relived sort of manner. Gohan felt a wave of surprise hit him as he stared at the figure in front of him, finally remembering that the voice was the one that had been recently stuck in his head. But what surprised him more was who the figure looked like. He had only been in Super Saiyan Two twice so far, but he was sure he knew what it looked like, especially after this experience. That was what scared Gohan the most; the figure in front of him looked like an exact copy of his Super Saiyan Two form, the only difference was that the figure looked about a year older.

"What…?" Gohan started to ask when the figure spoke.

_**Yep, I bet you have a lot of questions. Don't worry, I'll explain everything.**_ Gohan heard the voice echo in his head even though the figure was saying the same thing.

_**Which do you choose: Word of mouth or telepathy?**_ The figure asked him. At first, Gohan had no idea what the figure meant, but then he realized that he was being asked which way they wanted to communicate.

"Um… word of mouth, I guess," Gohan said after thinking things through. He thought he almost saw the figure give a sigh of relief.

_**That's good. That was getting kind of tiring.**_ He heard the voice echo in his head, but then he thought that he wasn't supposed to hear what just had entered his mind.

"Was I supposed to hear that?" Gohan asked as he voiced his question. The figure narrowed his teal eyes as he stared at Gohan, probably realizing that he had made a mistake.

**"No," **the figure said as he looked a bit puzzled. Gohan took this time to try and get some answers for the flurry of questions buzzing through his head.

"Who are you exactly?" Gohan asked as he stared at what could be mistaken as his identical twin. The figure thought for a moment before answering,

**"Your other self, if you could call it that,"** the figure explained and, when seeing the slightly confused look on Gohan's face, decided to explain further, **"you know, I'm that 'voice' that's been bothering you. And no, I'm not your conscious. I'm here to… help."**

Gohan still felt confused, but decided that he would find out more later. His 'other self' motioned for Gohan to follow him and started to walk through the line of mirrors. Gohan knew that he had a choice if he wanted to follow or not, but something about this situation seemed to intrigue him; so he started walking close behind.

"Where are we going?" Gohan asked after they had been walking for a while.

**"Someplace where we can talk more in private, and where some things would be easier to explain,"** his other self stated as he looked behind at Gohan. Gohan suddenly felt a feeling of confusion.

"But where else can we go? This place is all the same," Gohan asked as he continued looking around at the never ending line of mirrors.

**"Trust me, when you've been here as long as I have, you get to know the difference,"** Gohan heard his other self mutter, once again wondering if he should be hearing these things. If the half Saiyan in front of him knew that he had heard, he showed no sign of concern for it. Gohan almost ran into his other self and was about to yell at him when something caught his eye. He looked down and instantly saw a lotus; pure white and shining. His other self apparently saw his surprise and took a deep breath; Gohan was guessing it was to prepare himself for something.

**"I wasn't quite sure what your first reaction would be, but I guess I should start explaining,"** his other self stated, not even looking at Gohan, but at the delicate white flower below them.** "That is the Lotus, or Lein-Hua. It resides in few people, only those that it finds suitable."**

"So it has a mind of its own?" Gohan asked as he tried to take a closer at the white flower, although it was a bit hard to because of the white light shining from it.

**"Sort of, it's more like the Lotus makes decisions. Choosing a host is one of them. The Lotus resides in me,"** his other self paused before continuing, **"and in you."**

Gohan was finding it all very hard to understand, but what the other half Saiyan said made all his thoughts vanish.

"What do you mean? That I have a flower inside me?" Gohan asked as he gave up trying to look at the flower and focused instead on trying to understand what was being said. His response earned an amused look from his other self.

**"Yes and no. The best way to explain it is…"** his other self said before stopping, apparently he hadn't thought through this far. Suddenly, Gohan felt something tug on his 'hidden' power and he yelped; feeling a bit surprised. As soon as the feeling had come, it passed. Gohan looked over at his other self, wondering what had just happened.

**"The Lotus is the source of your 'power'. The Lotus controls it. That doesn't mean that it always forcefully control your power, it mostly reacts to your emotions. Especially stronger emotions,"** the other half Saiyan answered, still not looking at Gohan.

"Did you just control it? I mean, the Lotus." Gohan asked after a few moments. He saw the other half Saiyan smile a bit.

**"You could say that,"** his other self answered, **"you'll learn how to somewhat control Lein-Hua at some point. But it would be wise to remember that you can't completely control it yet."**

"What do you mean by 'yet'?" Gohan questioned. He was starting to feel really uneasy about the whole situation; some part of him was wishing he had just tried to get away when he first saw the figure.

**"Don't tell the others yet; they need to find out on their own,"** then his other self's features softened slightly when he answered Gohan's question next, **"She is coming. She will be the one to help you the most. She told me before she left."**

"She? Who is…?" Gohan was about to ask, but stopped when his other self shook his head. Gohan suddenly realized _who_ he was talking to. Anger spiked through him and he felt himself transform into Super Saiyan because of it.

"You! You're the one who killed daddy! You're the one who…!" Gohan was about to continue yelling when he was cut off by the other Saiyan. He could see that his other self was really annoyed; the other Saiyan's eyes showed anger and sparks of blue lightning were flowing around him.

**"Am I?"** his other self asked with a sense of quiet rage, **"am I? Or was it you?"**

Gohan suddenly felt his vision start to fade. The last thing he remembered before darkness covered his vision was his other self walking away in a seething rage.

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><p>Gohan sat straight up, panting as he tried to recover his breath. He had an immense headache and he was quite sure it was from his other self. He put his head in his hands and groaned slightly as the pain just got worse. Images passed through his mind; they were moving too fast for him to see them clearly and he didn't understand them. By the time the whole ordeal was done, Gohan felt his heart hammering in his chest. Another few minutes passed before he could look around. The familiar settings of his room greeted him and he suddenly remembered what had happened before he had fallen asleep.<p>

After they were released from the hospital, everyone went their separate ways and went home. Trunks was going to stay with his past mother for a while since he had gotten permission from his mother in the future; he also had said that he wanted to make sure no more serious dangers came along before he left. Tien and Krillin had gone back to Master Roshi's house, leaving Gohan to go home with his mother. His stomach growled as he remembered that he hadn't eaten much that night. His mother had been worried, but he just assured her that he wasn't very hungry because he was tired. He didn't really want to accidently wake his mother up getting food, but he got out of bed anyway.

He was about to open his door when something stopped him. He looked over at his desk and hurriedly walked over to it. He opened the top drawer and took out his 'journal'. He sighed before grabbing a pencil and walking back over to his bed.

_Might as well record what happened. At least that way I know I'm not going crazy later,_ Gohan thought as he opened to a new page and started to write. When he was done, he went back over to the drawer and put the journal inside. He was about to close the drawer when he looked back down at it, seeing the white cloth that held the knife his father had given him. Without another thought, he closed the drawer and lay down in his bed, yawning when he got there. The last thing he did before falling asleep was unconsciously tracing a flower on his blanket with his finger; possibly a Lotus.

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><p>Gohan looked over as his mother came into the living room. He had just finished catching up on his homework for the time he had missed during the Cell Games. He was starting to wonder what his mother wanted, and why she had a strangely happy glow to her.<p>

"Gohan, come sit by me," Chi-Chi said in a gentle voice as she patted a spot next to her on the couch. Gohan immediately obeyed and sat next to her, getting an increasingly nervous feeling. When he had sat down, he suddenly felt tired and leaned his head on his mother's lap.

"Gohan, there is something I need to tell you," she stated again in that soft voice as she started to slowly stroke her son's hair. Gohan was only half listening, but he nodded anyway to tell her that he understood. She waited a moment before asking Gohan a question almost in a whisper.

"Gohan, how would you like a little brother or sister?" Gohan suddenly sat up at those words and stared wide-eyed at his mother. She just nodded silently as a small smile broke out on Gohan's face.

"Yeah, I think I would like that," Gohan whispered to his mother as she started to smile too. But Gohan was forgetting one thing, with pleasant news there is always bad news to go along with it.

"Gohan, there is something else I need to tell you," Chi-Chi said as she knew that Gohan was going to adjust to this in a hard way, "you're going to high school."

Gohan let the words sink in as a confused look came on his face. When he finally understood what his mother was saying, his face became one of slight fear.

"But mom I…" Gohan was going to say _I can't, _but then thought against it, "Mom, what if I blow up the whole school?"

"Gohan, there's no way that would happen, besides you're too nice to blow it up," Chi-Chi said, obviously misunderstanding her son's concern. Gohan just sighed as he lay his head back down in his mother's lap.

_High school,_ Gohan thought, _well, this should be interesting._

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><p>Yeah, I know, strange way to end off a chapter. But now you have news of Gohan's little brother (or sister). Not going to spoil it for you but don't worry. Everything will be explained in time. Also "Lein-Hua" is just Japanese for Lotus flower. If I am wrong, please correct me; but I am sure that I got it right this time. I started a new fanfiction if anyone is interested. It's called "Haunting Past". I posted the first chapter after I uploaded this. So if you're interested in something of a side story to this fanfiction, I recommend that you read it. The first chapter is kind of confusing, but if you read this chapter, you should have some clue of who is talking. Anyway, please read and review!<p>

-AnimeWolfGirl9


	11. High School? But I'm only Eleven!

Hi everyone! Hope you are all excited for this next chapter. I do have to explain the whole 'high school' thing in case any of you are confused. The reason Gohan is going to 'high school' is because his mother slipped an application into his homework without him knowing and sent it in. He did so well that he skipped a "few" grades and got to ninth grade instead. Yeah, hopefully that explains a few things. Also, this is the first chapter with my first OC in it. I'll tell you who it is in the ending author's note. I guess you could also say that this is the first chapter with a multiple POV thing. It's just for a brief moment though. Special thanks to _BobJacksonSSJ_ for telling me my error in the Japanese translation of Lotus flower. The Japanese translation for Lotus flower is "Hachisunohana". Apparently I had been doing an English project centered on some Chinese language and I by accidentally used the Chinese translation of Lotus flower instead of the Japanese one. I think I am still going to use "Lein-Hua" for the translation though, even though Lotus Flower will be used more often than the Chinese translation. Thanks for bearing through that and hope you enjoy!

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><p><span>Chapter 11: High School? But I'm only Eleven!<span>

Gohan had stayed well up into the night when his mother had told him that he was going to high school. At first, he had wondered how that was even possible, being only eleven years old when most people who went to high school were from ages fourteen to eighteen. Then there was the problem about his 'power' and if he actually could blow up the school. He knew that his mother was right when she had told him that he was too nice to blow it up, but he didn't know what would happen if someone made him angry.

_Let's just hope that never happens,_ Gohan thought,_ I don't want to relive the Cell Games by blowing up the school._

Gohan flinched a bit when he thought of what had happened six days ago. Tomorrow was Friday, making it a week after the Cell Games. He didn't know what would happen tomorrow, such as assignments and all, but he figured that something would revolve around Hercule or his recent 'victory'. Gohan didn't even know why he was starting school on a Friday, making it the end of the week. When he had asked his mother about it, she had just brushed it off; that is, until Gohan asked if he could just start the Monday after that. She had nervously replied saying that the school wanted to "fit him in as soon as possible", which made Gohan a bit suspicious of his mother's behavior but he just thought it was probably from his soon-to-be brother or sister. Gohan's thoughts were filled with excitement when he remembered his mother telling him the news. But suddenly, he thought of something that quickly took away all the happiness he felt.

_My little brother or sister won't have a father to grow up with. And it's all my fault. If I would have finished Cell off sooner, then none of this heartbreak would have happened,_ Gohan thought as he lay down on his bed. He wasn't tired yet, so he looked over at the alarm clock, seeing that it read _10:30 PM_. He knew his mother was asleep by now and that she expected him to be too, but too much was running through his head for him to even try. Instead, he figured that he should talk to someone.

_Mr. Piccolo?_ Gohan asked through the link that they shared, hoping that he wasn't intruding on anything important.

_So you finally opened the link back up. It was blocked ever since you left the Lookout,_ his eyes widened at what his mentor said.

_Sorry I think I forgot that I blocked it. Anyway, I don't think I'm going to be able to train tomorrow;_ Gohan apologized as he suddenly heard the nervousness that he was feeling being reflected through his words.

_Any specific reason?_ He knew that his longtime mentor and friend would want to know why.

_Mom kind of signed me up for high school and from what I've heard; I think a regular day is eight hours. I could try and come train after school if mom will let me, but I bet I am going to have homework,_ Gohan answered, at least starting to feel a bit calmer by having someone to talk to.

_High school? Isn't that for older kids? You're eleven,_ Piccolo asked with almost disbelief.

_Yep my thoughts exactly; I just wanted to tell you just in case I didn't show up,_ Gohan stated and was thinking on trying to get to sleep, but Piccolo had another question for him.

_How come you contacted me now? Couldn't you have done it earlier?_

_ Yeah, I just can't get to sleep so I thought I would do it now,_ Gohan answered back, feeling a bit guarded. If he knew Piccolo, then his mentor probably had something to ask him pertaining to the current situation.

_Something on your mind, kid? You usually sleep like a rock;_ of course Piccolo would be the one to inform him of that since he had been secretly observing Gohan when he had first started training.

_Yes, of course I would have stuff on my mind!_ Gohan snapped as he yelled through the link, then realizing with dread at what he had just done,_ Sorry Mr. Piccolo. That's the second time, isn't it? It's just…_

Gohan had been debating on whether or not to tell his mentor of the dream he had the night before, but then he remembered his other self told him not to tell 'the others'. He cut off his sentence as he figured that 'the others' were his friends.

_Gohan, "it's just" what? I won't lie to you kid but you have been acting strange since about a week ago. I also felt that strange Ki near yours last night,_ Piccolo asked and Gohan could tell that there was some urgency in his voice. When Gohan still didn't answer, Piccolo decided to push the matter further.

_Gohan, what is going on? I can tell that you know something about it by the way that you are acting,_ Piccolo started, but Gohan felt like he had heard enough. When Piccolo had mentioned a 'strange Ki', his head had instantly known it was his other self that Piccolo had sensed; knowing that had sent alarm through him.

_Nothing's wrong. I just need some time to think,_ Gohan answered rudely as he felt himself start to grow uncomfortable again.

_Gohan…_ Piccolo warned with an edge in his voice, knowing full well what Gohan was going to do next. Gohan, not willing to listen anymore, closed off the link; not having any intention to open it again until things were sorted out.

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><p>Gohan woke up bleary eyed to a loud ringing noise that was his alarm clock. He looked at it and saw that it read <em>6:30 AM<em>. Gohan groaned as he got out of bed and got dressed into a white long sleeved shirt and black pants, once again similar to the outfit he had worn when he met Lime. As he opened the door to his room and walked out into the kitchen, he was once again wishing that he would have gone to bed earlier instead of talking to Piccolo, especially after how that had turned out.

"Good Morning, Gohan," his mother said cheerfully as he came into the kitchen, "Breakfast is on the table. I let you sleep in a bit for your first day, so you might need to hurry a bit."

Gohan nodded and tried not to show how much worry was going through his mind. He quickly ate breakfast and showered before flying off to school. When he was about half way there, Gohan suddenly had a thought.

_How am I going to explain how I got to school so quickly when I live so far away?_ Gohan thought, but then sighed as a voice entered his mind.

_**You could tell them that you sometimes stay with Bulma or that you drive a car to school,**_ his other self said, apparently answering his question.

_I'm eleven so obviously I can't drive yet, and how am I going to explain to everyone how in the world I know Bulma Briefs?_ Gohan asked a bit annoyed.

_**I'm twelve and I can't drive either, but does it matter. I mean, the only thing that does matter is that you get to go to school. I never got to go to school, at least in public,**_ his other self stated, making Gohan even more annoyed.

_Why didn't you go to school? Because you were stuck inside of me?_ He asked mockingly.

_**I have other reasons why I didn't get to do stuff besides being stuck inside of you;**_ he heard his other self say with a twinge of anger and regret.

_Why are you even talking to me? Do you have something wrong with your memory or something because, last that I remember, the last thing we did together was have a fight,_ Gohan asked. He could tell that his patience was running thin from the lack of sleep.

_**Well, I forgave you. Why? Do you have problems with forgiving people?**_ His other self was now mocking him. Both fell silent and, after a while, Gohan finally got to Orange Star High School. Apparently it was in Hercule City; the last place he wanted to be because of the "World Champion". He knew he was a few minutes early, so the first thing he remembered his mother telling him to do when he got to the school was to go see the principle. He knocked on the door to the principal's office and walked in when there was an answer.

"What can I help you with, young man?" the principal asked as he stared at Gohan. Gohan saw that the plate on the principal's desk said "Principal Omodatta", and he guessed that that was the principal's last name.

"Um… hello, I'm a new student here and I was wondering what I should do first," Gohan asked as loud as he could, but he knew that he was hard to hear since he was so nervous. The principal gave him an almost disbelieving glance at first and then went to search something in the computer on his desk.

"What is your name, young man?" the principal asked him as he tried not to fidget under the older man's gaze.

"Son Gohan," he answered as the principal typed on his computer and looked through a few documents. The man had a surprised look on his face before composing himself.

"Well then, Mr. Son, you got perfect scores on all of your entry tests. Here is your schedule. If you need anything, just ask someone around the school. We are all very pleased to see you here," the principal said as he handed Gohan his schedule and escorted him to the door. When the door was finally closed, Gohan stood out in the hallway for a few moments with a confused look on his face. When the principal had said "perfect scores" Gohan was about to blurt out "I did?", but had decided against it. He shook his head and quickly looked down at his schedule. Biology class was first, and then followed by Algebra, an Introduction to Business class, World Cultures, then Lunch, Gym, and English. Gohan sighed and started to look around the hallway for a clock. He found one and realized that he had taken longer than he thought in the principal's office. He would have run in the hall if he had known where the Science class room was. But instead, he just continued to wander along the hallway, finally making it to the Science room and, after taking a shaky breath, knocked on the door.

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><p>He knew the moment he sensed the familiar Ki coming towards the Science room that he was dead. He knew that at some point the owner of the Ki would find out and then, everything would go wrong. He had tried to change, tried to forget what he had almost mindlessly participated in; only running away when he found out what he had done, and what would happen to the others, his siblings. He fidgeted quietly in his seat as the Ki came closer and closer, all the while thinking one thought:<p>

_I am going to be dead._

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><p>Gohan opened the door when he heard a "come in" from the other side of the door. When he had finally stepped into the classroom, he wished that he never had come in. There were at least eighteen other students staring at him with confused or mocking faces, all eighteen of them were <em>staring<em> at him. He fidgeted nervously under their gazes, wishing nothing more than to be invisible at that moment. He suddenly heard the teacher talking to the class.

"Class, this is the new student we have been telling you about. He got perfect scores on all of his entry tests, so maybe some of you should follow his example. Young man, why don't you tell the class a bit about yourself," his science teacher, Mr. Kagaku, said as he turned to Gohan. He nodded, all the while trying to pretend that nineteen other people didn't have their attention solely on him.

"Hello, my name is Son Gohan. I live on Mount Paozu. I have a mother and a soon to be brother or sister…" Gohan had no idea why he was telling all this private stuff to people who could possibly be stalkers, but he suddenly trailed off when about three fourths of the class stared at him with open mouths and surprised faces. Even the teacher looked surprised as he turned his attention to Gohan.

"Well Mr. Son, that's all quite interesting. Please take a seat next to Erasa and Kevin," then Mr. Kagaku turned his attention to two students in the middle row, "Erasa, Kevin, please raise your hands so Gohan knows where to sit."

Gohan saw two students raise their hands and went over to sit next to them. Apparently Erasa was the girl who had blonde hair and blue eyes, and Gohan could tell that talking to her was going to be a pain. Kevin was sitting to his left. The boy had dark brown to almost black hair and was wearing a purple t-shirt. Gohan found two things strange about him: one, that he had a strange color of bluish-purple eyes and two that his hand had been shaking when he lifted it. Gohan had no idea why, but he decided to forget about it and focus on the class. As soon as Mr. Kagaku started to talk, Erasa leaned near him and started to whisper.

"So, Gohan was it? How do you get to school living all the way out on Mount Paozu?" Erasa asked. Gohan knew that he was missing the lesson, but he didn't really mind since he had already learned this material.

"Well, my mom sometimes drives me out to school and then the other times I stay with a family-friend of my mom's. I usually just stay with her to help clean and stuff like that," Gohan said and knew that this 'Erasa' was going to try and delve deeper into his personal life than he liked.

"Oh ok then. I was just curious. Well as you know, I'm Erasa. The kid sitting to your left is Kevin. Beside me is Sharpner and then next to Kevin is Videl," Erasa said and as she finished, each of the mentioned people were drawn into the conversation and not paying attention to the lesson. Gohan was about to reply when _someone_ started to bother him again.

_**Hey, don't you think those are all strange names. And don't they seem a little odd to you, especially that 'Kevin' person.**_ His other self just interrupted.

_Can you get out of my head? I kind of need to pay attention. You know? The first day of school is kind of important,_ Gohan answered, trying to get his other self out of his head as soon as possible. He was already getting annoyed since his other self had the sense to interrupt him when he was trying to concentrate.

_**Oh ok. Sorry, I'll leave you be. You know, cause school is so important to the little scholar,**_ and with that, his other self left; leaving a seething Gohan to sort out his problems. When he finally came back to his senses, he realized that Sharpner was talking.

"Who cares if we miss the lesson? It's not like it's important anyways," the long blonde haired teen was saying.

"I care. It is kind of important," Kevin said in a soft but defensive way.

"Well, that's because you're a nerd like him," Sharpner said as he was pointing at Gohan.

"Do you always make first assumptions about everyone?" Gohan asked sharply. He didn't like how Sharpner was talking to Kevin, and he was still mad at his other self for interrupting; but as soon as the words left his mouth, he regretted ever saying them.

"Oh so now all of the nerds are going to gang up on me now? Oh I'm _so_ scared!" Sharpner said in a mocking tone that earned him glares from both Gohan and Kevin. Before either of the said people could react, Videl finally spoke.

"Sharpner, leave them alone. At least _they_ can pass this class," she said as she stared at the overconfident jock. That just left Sharpner with no reply while Gohan and Kevin were having a hard time trying not to laugh. Erasa had already given in and was giggling.

"Sharpner, you just got passed up by the daughter of the World Champion!" Erasa stated and Gohan had known long before that she had said it a bit too loudly. What the blonde had just said made Gohan stop his attempt to not laugh and made him think.

_She's the daughter of Hercule?_ Gohan thought as he looked over at Videl, _she's nothing like him! He's really boastful and she's more of the quiet type; at least, from what I've seen so far._

"Erasa, stop chattering this instant! I'm sure that you should listen to the lesson to bring your grade up!" Mr. Kagaku stated harshly; only earning a "yes sir" from the blonde mentioned. Although the teacher had yelled at her, Erasa was not going to give up talking for the lesson. She looked over and caught Gohan staring questionably at Videl.

"Oh Gohan, do you like Videl or something?" Erasa asked in an excited tone. Gohan had been thinking tons of other things, but when Erasa had said that, he instantly started blushing at his mistake.

"No, of course I don't! Why do you think that?" Gohan answered nervously, but Erasa took the blush on Gohan's face as a sign of that he was not telling the truth instead of embarrassment.

"Oh don't worry Gohan, there's no denying it from me!" she said a bit too loudly, getting her another scolding from the teacher. Gohan sighed and saw Kevin looking over at him with a compassionate look. But Gohan could also sense something else coming from his new quiet friend.

_Fear?_ Gohan thought as he felt for Kevin's Ki and seeing that it was higher than most of the other people in the class, even Videl's. _Why does he seem to be afraid of me? Does he know something that I don't?_

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><p>The next two classes passed quickly without much happening. Gohan thought that it was strange that in every class so far, Kevin was also in the same class. When Gohan got to the World Cultures room a few minutes early, he saw that there were assigned seats. He went up to the board and saw where his seat was, but also took notice that Kevin was sitting next to him.<p>

_Ok I am starting to find this a bit strange. Why is Kevin in every one of my classes so far and why does he always seem nervous around me?_ Gohan thought as he saw Kevin come and sit in the seat next to his. Gohan turned around when he heard some other students come into the classroom. As soon as they saw Gohan and Kevin sitting near each other, the group of boys laughed.

"The teacher probably wants to keep the _new_ kids together," Gohan recognized the voice was Sharpner's. He sent a glare at the group of kids before turning to Kevin. He felt bad that his new friend was getting teased because of him, but what Sharpner had said made a question pop into his mind.

"Hey, Kevin? When did you start coming to this school?" Gohan asked as gently as he possibly could; he didn't want to scare his friend any more than he apparently had already. Kevin seemed surprised about something, but then answered to Gohan in a whisper.

"About five or six days ago. Why? Was it because of what those jerks said?" Kevin asked, earning a nod from Gohan. As soon as Kevin finished speaking, the teacher came in.

"Hello class, I am Mr. Iwaku. I am your teacher for World Cultures." Mr. Iwaku said, but then seemed to get into "teacher mode".

"Today marks the one week anniversary of the Cell Games," as soon as the teacher said that, Gohan froze, not failing to notice that Kevin did the same, "For your assignment today, you will be writing an appreciation note to the World Champion…"

When Gohan heard that, he thought it couldn't get any worse, but what he heard next made him realize his mistake.

"… and an essay to the unknown fighters on what they can improve on."

Gohan would have commented if the teacher hadn't been standing right in front of him, almost as if he knew that the student had participated in the dreaded event. As the teacher signaled for the class to begin the assignment saying that it was "due by the end of class", Gohan started to think.

_Ok I think I can make up some comments to the "World Champion", but how can I just start insulting my friends?_ He mentally groaned as he heard his answer.

_**Well, if you need help with that, I certainly have nothing to do.**_ His other self said in a happy tone.

_Ok, you are really starting to annoy me,_ Gohan thought.

_**Well that's not my fault. I guess I just have a habit of annoying people,**_ his other self answered, saying the last part sarcastically.

_Do you need to bother me now? I kind of have something important to do,_ Gohan asked, trying to calm himself, but his other self didn't answer after that. Before he knew it, the end of the class came and he had only written the "comments to the World Champion" assignment, when the rest of the class including Kevin had done the whole assignment. When he turned the assignment in, the teacher took one look at it and "asked him to stay after class". So there Gohan was, waiting for the rest of the class to leave. By the time the teacher started to talk, the only two students left were Videl and Kevin, the first one mentioned leaving the classroom only seconds after.

"Mr. Son, would you care to explain to me why you only have half of the assignment done?" Mr. Iwaku asked him in a harsh tone.

"Well, I really couldn't do the second part because I didn't have a TV to watch the Cell Games on," it wasn't a lie, but Gohan knew it was the best he could do at the moment.

"And why didn't you have a TV. Even though you live far away, you could have easily gotten one," Mr. Iwaku asked, still a bit suspicious.

"Well, it kind of got destroyed mid-way through," he answered, hoping to Dende that the teacher wouldn't ask how it got destroyed. Satisfied with Gohan's answer, Mr. Iwaku dismissed him to go to lunch. As Gohan opened the door, he was met with surprise as he saw Kevin standing outside of the door.

"Um… I was waiting for you," Kevin stated softly as they started to walk, "I heard what the teacher said and I can understand you having reasons. That time isn't the most pleasant for everyone."

At his friend's sudden change of mood, Gohan wondered what had happened to him to have made it unpleasant, but he didn't want to intrude; personal matters were meant to be kept a secret. So Gohan and Kevin went off to lunch, eventually sitting with Videl and Erasa. Gohan, for once, had to eat a human sized portion of a meal; he knew that he could eat more when he got home. The next class was gym. As Gohan walked to the gym with Kevin, he knew instantly that he wasn't going to like this class. As they neared the gym, he started to worry.

_Why does it have to be gym? I don't want some defenseless person getting hurt because I can't control my power,_ Gohan thought.

_**Well, don't worry, that 'defenseless person' will be fine. I think you should concentrate on the 'person' beside you,**_ his other self stated, and Gohan didn't fail to notice that his other self sounded a bit worried. Also, he was beginning to wonder why his other self had emphasized the word "person" so much.

_Why?_ Gohan asked, wondering why his other self was acting so strange.

_**I am just trying to warn you. Don't you ever wonder something? Like "why is he in every one of you classes"? Or the fact that he has strange eye colors?**_ Was his answer, but it seemed more like an interrogation.

_Yeah, and me being part "alien" and being able to change my hair and eye color isn't weird,_ Gohan stated sarcastically.

_**Ok, you do have a point. All I'm trying to say is to be careful of what people you choose as your friends; it might come back to haunt you in the end,**_ his other self answered and, before Gohan could say anything else, left the conversation. When Gohan actually remembered there was someone with him this time, he looked over to see Kevin staring at him with a confused but concerned look on his face.

"Hey, Gohan. Are you ok?" Kevin asked. Gohan had no idea what to say next, so instead he asked,

"Um… what did I do?"

Instantly realizing his mistake, Gohan then looked surprised at what he had said, or at least, he assumed he said.

"Oh don't worry, nothing much," Kevin stated as he started to smile, "having a conversation with someone in your head can do that to you."

Gohan instantly looked at Kevin, shocked at what he had just heard; he wondered if his friend had actually heard the conversation with his other self. As soon as he looked at his friend, Kevin then realized that he had made a mistake too.

"Um… that's not what I…" Kevin started to nervously say, but then looked at the clock and started to freak out, "Gohan, we're going to be late if we don't get going."

Gohan, looking at the clock, also started to realize that they only had four minutes to change. They both ran to the gym and then into the changing room. When his mother had read him all the rules the night before school started, there was nothing in the line of "gym clothes", and so he had brought an orange Gi with him to change into. With a pang of sorrow, he realized it was similar to his father's Gi, but he brushed off the feeling as he went out into the gym. As soon as he got out into the main area of the gym, all the boys started to stare at him weird, with the exception of Kevin, who was just acting like it was normal to see someone wear something other than a t-shirt and shorts.

"What?" Gohan asked to no one in particular. As soon as he said that, the staring crowd burst into a round of laughter; making Gohan even more confused than before. As he walked to where Kevin was standing, he suddenly realized why they were all laughing, due to their comments.

"Look at what he's wearing!" one boy stated through his laughter, "It looks like it was given to him by his daddy!"

That comment made the gym burst into more laughter followed by other comments, making Gohan want to say "bingo" since the Gi was given to him by his dad. When he finally came to sit beside Kevin in the bleachers, his friend was giving him a sympathetic look.

"Don't worry about it Gohan. They just don't know how to handle something new," Kevin stated in a soft tone.

"I swear, they all act like they're a bunch of teenage girls," Gohan stated as he shook his head, earning a small laugh from Kevin; which was cut short as the gym teacher entered the gym.

"Class!" He shouted above the laughter, "Get control of yourselves!"

Upon seeing that the teacher was now in the room, the people that had been previously laughing quieted down. Kevin motioned with his head to go down to where the crowd was now gathered, making his way following Gohan. The teacher took one look at Gohan and frowned.

"What are you wearing?" the teacher, Mr. Jimu, asked; earning a small laugh from the crowd gathered.

"A Gi," Gohan stated simply before continuing, "as far as I know, there were no regulations in the school rules of what to wear for gym."

"Oh, so does that mean you can wear nothing?" Someone in the crowd shouted, which made the class go into laughter again while Gohan and Kevin had disturbed looks on their faces.

"Well it didn't say anything about that in the rules," Gohan waited a moment before answering, "but I would rather have you at least have something on."

That made the whole class laugh again and, while the teacher was trying to get them to quiet down; Gohan and Kevin smiled at the other kids' childish behavior.

"In some ways, I think we are definitely more mature than them," Kevin whispered while Gohan shared a knowing glance. The room finally became quiet again after a few moments.

"Class, today we will be playing dodge ball," Mr. Jimu stated while Gohan suddenly felt sick. His previous conversation with his other self popped into his mind and, when he heard the same identical voice in his head, wasn't sure if it was part of the memory or not.

_**Yay, sock them in the face!**_ His other self's voice yelled happily into his head.

_How do you even know what dodge ball is?_ He asked as his other self became quiet. Before the conversation could continue, people started to pick teams. Kevin and Gohan were on the same team, which made Gohan happy since he didn't really want to "sock" his friend in the face with a dodge ball.

When the whistle was blown, Gohan decided to just dodge or catch the balls that were thrown at him, not wanting to make someone end up in the hospital on his first day of school. Soon enough, everyone on Gohan's team was out except him and Kevin. The teacher looked at the clock before blowing the whistle, saying it was "mercy rule" and telling them to go change. Gohan changed quickly, wanting to get out of the gym and to his next class so he wasn't late.

The last class of the day was English. Gohan was kind of happy since this class was the only one with a female teacher in it. When the teacher came in, Gohan instantly knew that he was going to enjoy being in her class.

"Hello everyone. My name is Miss. Ni-Su. You can also call me Miss. Stephanie if you want. Our assignment for today will be a creative writing essay based around the Cell Games," Miss. Stephanie said. She had light blonde hair and her blue eyes reflected kindness. Gohan instantly froze when she said "Cell Games" because it seemed that every teacher did something related to it, but he relaxed at what she said next, "for your assignment, I want to know what you think really happened during the time that the cable was down for the Cell Games. Be creative, and I will be choosing the best ones out of the class to read on Monday."

Gohan at first didn't know what to do for the assignment, but then he thought that he should at least be a bit truthful; after all, who would believe his story? So that's what he did, writing down about what "really" happened at the Cell Games, making up fake names for every one of his friends and referring to his father as "the Golden Warrior", since it was with his father's help that he had defeated Cell in the first place. When he was done, he realized that he had finished a few minutes early and turned in his assignment. When he got back to his desk, he realized that Kevin was also done. Briefly, he wondered what his friend had written about, but he figured that Kevin's would be chosen as one of the best so he would figure out anyway. When the bell rang, Gohan packed up his stuff and headed to his locker. When he was going towards the exit, he realized that he heard Kevin's voice in the empty hallway. As he walked towards where his friend's locker was, he was confused by what he saw and heard.

"Every single class… why do I have to have every single class with him…" Kevin stated as he banged his head against his locker several times.

"Kevin, is everything ok?" Gohan asked, worried that something was wrong with his friend. Kevin, just realizing that Gohan was standing there, looked over at him nervously.

"Uh yeah, everything's fine. I just realized that I missed my bus, so I'm going to have to walk home," Kevin started but after seeing Gohan's worried look at what he had just said continued, "don't worry, my house is near the school so it's not far to walk. Either way, I need to get going."

Gohan shook his head as he saw his friend run down the hall and out the other exit. He went out the exit and started to fly home, wondering what was wrong with his new friend.

* * *

><p>Yay, Gohan's first day of high school is over! Sorry, I changed gym from baseball to dodge ball since everyone seems to do the first day as baseball. Don't worry though, I'm still going to include that; it's just that I wanted to do something different. If you didn't guess by now, Kevin is my first OC. I do have some questions for you: what do you think is wrong with Kevin? Why do you think he is acting strange? And what do you think will happen next? Just to tell you, the POV switch to the Science room was also Kevin briefly. I would also like to know what your favorite part of this chapter was. Please review!<p>

-AnimeWolfGirl9


	12. What is going on?

I just want to say, thanks to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, or alerted this fanfiction. You guys are the inspiration that keeps me going for this fanfiction. So this one is dedicated to all of you readers. I do have to explain some things though. Gohan is eleven when he starts high school. Kevin is around his age, Videl is about two years older, and Erasa and Sharpner are about three or four years older than him. This is just the ages of the group that he hangs out with; everyone else in the school are normal high school age. Kevin got in for somewhat the same reason as Gohan only with some slightly different circumstances, Videl got in since she is the daughter of the World Champion, and Erasa and Sharpner just got in the normal way. Hope that explains some things. Also, there is a bit of a time skip in this one; about a few months. Either way, hope you enjoy! Also, I have decided to start "saying thanks" to your reviews since I figured you would like to know what my response was.

**AlphaShenron:** Thanks for the suggestion! I'll make sure to add something like that later in the story.

**Crystalzap:** Good guess! Don't worry; Kevin's past will be brought to light soon.

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 12: What is going on?<span>

Gohan knew that the moment he got home, his mother would want to know everything that had happened; which was why he wasn't surprised when the first thing his mother asked when he got into the house was,

"So Gohan how was your first day of school?"

"It was good. I did make a new friend. His name is Kevin," Gohan answered and then got a bit nervous at what he said next, not sure what his mother's reaction would be, "I did kind of fail one of my assignments though."

"SON GOHAN, YOU DID WHAT?" his mother shouted and, before she could get the frying pan, Gohan frantically pleaded.

"Can I at least explain before you smack me with the frying pan?" he pleaded, not really feeling in the mood to get smacked by the Frying Pan of Doom today. When his mother nodded, he continued, "It was for World Cultures, since today is the week anniversary of the Cell Games, so most of the teachers did assignments around that. The one for World Cultures was writing a 'thank you note' to the World Champion and then giving 'pointers' to the 'other fighters' that had participated in the Cell Games. I couldn't just insult my friends and daddy, could I?"

Gohan felt like he was going to cry, and he could see that his mother looked the same way. As tears finally dripped down his face, his mother came over and cradled him in a hug.

"Oh Gohan, I'm so sorry," was all she could say. He could tell by the wetness in his hair that his mother was crying too; he didn't mind though, she had as much right as him, even more so.

* * *

><p>The next few months passed quickly. Gohan didn't really think of them as months because of school, training, and his other self. Almost every night, his other self would pull Gohan into the "mirror world" and explain something that he expected Gohan to already know. Of course, Gohan would then try and understand, but wouldn't really get anywhere. He remembered his recent conversation with his other self.<p>

* * *

><p><em> "Why did you call me here again?" Gohan asked irritably. He was getting more and more tired each day; so much, that he almost kept thinking of quitting training, but he knew Piccolo would be wondering why if he did.<em>

_**"You get the same answer each time; why don't you just let it go?" **__his other self stated, but then seemed surprised about something; but Gohan didn't really care what it was. He forced himself to listen when his other self started to talk again, __**"you were called here for me to explain something to you. Now listen, the Lotus is very fragile. It also can be manipulated easily, and I can tell you that that is something you don't want to happen. Do you understand that much?"**_

_Gohan nodded his head, finding this conversation somewhat easier to understand than the others. He yawned slightly, and apparently his other self noticed, sighing before speaking again._

_**"Ok, I'll leave it at that. You should probably get some rest. I'll explain more some other time,"**__ Gohan was just about to leave when he was stopped once again by his other self, __**"Oh yeah, one more thing. Each time we meet like this, you don't sleep so it drains your energy."**_

_"Oh so now you tell me!" Gohan snapped irritably. He had guessed this a while back, but because of his lack of sleep it felt good to verbally attack someone for once. He could tell his other self was angry too._

_**"Well yeah, I kind of need to hurry this a bit before…" **__but his other self never finished, cutting off and waving for Gohan to leave, grief stricken in the older half Saiyan's eyes._

* * *

><p>Gohan sighed sadly. His other self had left him alone for about a week after that, not really explaining why he had cut off like that. Gohan was kind of worried what the older half Saiyan was going to say, but he brushed it off; bigger news coming into his head as he nervously fidgeted in his seat. He was now waiting at the hospital with Bulma, the Ox King, Future Trunks, and the rest of the Z Fighters. His mother was in the other room "delivering", that's what Future Trunks called it, his younger sibling. His mother hadn't wanted to find out if it was a boy or a girl; when Gohan had asked why, she just said that it would be more exciting that way. He was now currently trying to block out the noises in the hospital; more than once cursing his Saiyan hearing that definitely wasn't helping. Trunks apparently noticed him fidgeting because he took one look at Gohan and smiled.<p>

"Don't worry Gohan, everything is fine," the older Saiyan said in a comforting tone. Gohan looked at Trunks and then down at the ground.

"I know. I'm just nervous," he started, but then lowered his voice, "but then again, having enhanced hearing doesn't help."

He looked up at Trunks and saw the other Saiyan was giving him a confused look, but that soon turned into a semi-blush.

"Oh, I get what you mean," Trunks stated. Gohan looked up at the older half Saiyan and saw his mouth move, but he couldn't hear anything. Suddenly, he felt a really bad pounding in his head. He groaned as he clutched his head in his hands and closed his eyes. The pounding only got worse and with it came pictures; pictures of a dark night with pouring rain. The scene then changed to something that looked like an underground pond with a girl sitting beside it. Then everything was black for a moment, the pain in his head slowly leaving. When he looked back up, he felt Trunks' hand on his shoulder.

"Hey Gohan, are you ok?" the older Saiyan asked with concern. Gohan stared at him, confused for a moment before answering.

"Um… yeah I think so," he answered, but then turned his head to the sound of a door opening.

"You may all come in now," a nurse said. She had black hair and green eyes, and was dressed in a white hospital uniform. He saw everyone else get up and stood to get up himself, but felt the pounding in his head returning, worse than last time. He felt his legs fail him, but as his eyes closed, he felt Trunks catch him before he hit the ground.

* * *

><p><strong>"So, you've started seeing them already?"<strong> his other self's voice rang through his head. He stood up weakly while realizing that he was back in the "mirror world". Filled with anger, he stormed his way to the area where his other self was, not quite sure how he knew the way.

"You really had to do this now!" he growled as he stalked towards his other self. The older boy stared at him with confusion before laughing, amusement reflected in his blue eyes.

"Why are you laughing?" he questioned, feeling dangerously close to losing his temper; although he knew if he did get into a fight with the older Super Saiyan that he could easily be outranked in a matter of seconds.

**"I didn't bring you here. You chose to come yourself,"** his other self managed to get out between his laughs.

"What do you mean by I 'chose' to come here? And what has started to happen?" Gohan asked, not quite understanding what was being said. His other self stopped laughing and gave him a glance.

**"I forgot I didn't explain everything to you,"** his other self stated before sighing, **"well, let's just say you are going to be getting some 'images' from time to time."**

"What kind of images?" he asked, hoping that they would not be as painful as the other one. Now that he knew that his "blackout" was caused by what he saw, he was now curious to what the older Saiyan was telling him. His other self hesitated before speaking.

**"Well, if I told you, it wouldn't be that much of a surprise,"** the older boy said as he looked away, and Gohan thought that he could detect some kind of jealousy behind the older boy's words.

"How is that going to help me then?" Gohan challenged. He didn't really like how his other self was not telling him much, and he didn't really have to be reminded of one of their other encounters.

**"Why does it need to help you?" **his other self blurted out, obviously angered, **"just leave!"**

He felt his vision go black as a strong wind knocked into him.

* * *

><p>Gohan quickly sat up, realizing that he was in his bed. His side was throbbing like crazy and he was once again rewarded with a bad headache. He remembered what had just happened and went to look out the window, almost falling on his face getting there. He looked outside and saw that it was nighttime.<p>

_I must have been passed out for the rest of the day,_ he thought as he closed the blinds and walked to the door. He was about to open it, but stopped when a loud whining noise hit his ears. He quickly let go of the doorknob and brought his hands up to his head.

_What was that?_ He first thought with confusion, but then remembered; _oh that's my little sibling. Wow they have a loud voice._

When the whining ceased, Gohan opened the door, not quite expecting what came next. He just stood in the hallway for a while, not sure what to say. The sight that greeted him was not one that he expected. His mother was sitting on the couch talking with Bulma. The Z Fighters were gathered around, apparently listening to whatever the two women were saying. When Gohan opened the door, all heads turned in his direction and shocked but relieved faces greeted him.

"Um… hi?" He said hesitantly, not really sure of what to say. The one who answered him looked similar to the kid Trunks that he knew, but older.

"Hey, look its Sleeping Beauty!" the lavender haired boy came running up to Gohan with a miniature looking Goku on his heels.

"Daddy?" Gohan blurted out as soon as he saw the Goku look alike. The small Goku stopped and looked around, a confused look on his face.

"Daddy? Whose that? Who are you?" the small child asked. Gohan looked over at the others for help, but they all seemed very uncomfortable.

"What's wrong?" Gohan asked with uncertainty at how they were acting. The one who answered him was Bulma,

"Gohan, you've been in a coma for a year."

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><p>Yeah sorry, I couldn't help it for ending it at a cliffhanger. The mini Goku's speech is supposed to be like that since he is little. Sorry I was going to make this longer, but I couldn't resist ending it there; but don't worry, the next chapter will be out soon. So, Gohan has been stuck in a coma… Why do you think that is? Hope you enjoyed and please review!<p>

-AnimeWolfGirl9


	13. No Answers

(I'm going to start just doing the "thanks" to your reviews first and then do an author's note at the end. That will start after this chapter.)

**Yamunaku:** Yeah, suspense does kill me too, but the suspense ends with this chapter (well, some of it).

**petites sorcieres:** Yep, Gohan is pretty much stuck with those "images". There is a reason for them, but that will be revealed sometime later. I figured I would tell you about how to find some of the "other Saiyan" (Gohan's other self)'s past. It's in my other fanfiction "Haunting Past". Just thought I would tell you since you seemed interested.

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><p><span>Chapter 13: No Answers<span>

"What do you mean?" Gohan asked, almost unable to comprehend what he was hearing, "in a coma? For a year?"

Bulma nodded as he looked at everyone else for confirmation, who mostly just looked away. Suddenly, he was feeling very unwelcome where he called _home_.

"That can't be right though. It's only felt like a few hours," he stated, wanting nothing more than to go back into his room; either that, or wake up from this nightmare. But some part of him knew that he wasn't dreaming, which made him feel a lot worse about the subject. He looked over at his mother, seeing that she was not looking at him, but he also saw that she was crying. He wanted to go and comfort her, but before he could, he heard a voice from below.

"Hey, Sleeping Beauty, are you ever going to talk?" he looked down and saw the kid Trunks staring at him, an irritated look on the little Saiyan's face. He felt that if this was a more comfortable situation he would have laughed at kid Trunks' rude behavior.

"Why is Trunks calling me 'Sleeping Beauty'?" Gohan asked, looking at Bulma for an answer, "I thought that was a girl movie."

"It is. Although I have no idea how he knows about it," Bulma stated as she laughed a bit while staring at kid Trunks. Her son just stared back at her with his blue eyes.

"What? You can blame Goten," was all the little kid said before playfully punching the black haired kid beside him.

"You can't blame me; I heard it from mom," the little kid, Goten, stated as he pointed at his mother, "and John."

At the mention of the word 'John', Gohan saw his mother freeze a bit. He stared at her, a bit unsure of what was going on. He was about to ask her when Goten interrupted.

"Mom, can I have another cookie?" the little kid asked while kid Trunks asked the same. Chi-Chi didn't answer so after a while Bulma did.

"I think you two have had enough cookies for tonight. You won't be able to sleep if you eat any more," Bulma said in a stern but light tone. Both children instantly started pouting. That's when Gohan figured that his little brother's speech was obscured earlier because of him eating a cookie at the moment he met him.

"So, who are you again?" Goten asked as he turned to back to look at Gohan, "you look like me, but I have never seen you before."

Gohan felt kind of awkward that his little brother was asking him about himself, but he wanted to try and figure things out.

"My name is Gohan," he started as he tried to smile at his little brother the best he could, "I'm your big brother."

"I have a big brother?" Goten asked as he turned to his mom to confirm this; she apparently heard him and nodded, still not staring at Gohan. He wondered what he could have done to upset her so much, but he didn't know how to approach the subject. Instead, kid Trunks seemed to feel the tense mood and decided to intervene again.

"So Gohan, what woke you up?" kid Trunks asked while giving him a skeptical look.

"Yeah, did your princess kiss you and then did you wake up?" Goten chimed in full of excitement. Gohan paled at what his brother just said.

"What?" he asked, but then he remembered that they were thinking about the movie, "Um… no, I think I just woke up."

Both of the kids looked at each other with smiles on their faces before kid Trunks replied.

"Yeah, sure," he said while he continued to smile. Gohan shook his head at their vivid imaginations, finally finding something to say.

"They sure are advanced for one and two year olds," Gohan stated to no one in particular.

"Yeah, about that…" Krillin started, but Bulma silenced him with a look. She then stared at Gohan.

"They are kind of four and three year olds," Bulma said with a strange smile on her face. Gohan stared at her for a few moments, still not understanding what she had said.

"What do you mean?" he asked as he stared at his younger brother and friend. They were currently running around the room, but then ran past Gohan and into a different room; one that he could only guess was his little brother's room.

"They have this condition," Bulma started out and he could see that she was trying to find the best way to explain it, "a condition where it alters there ages and appearances to be older than they actually are. I guess you could call it fast growth or something like that. So Goten is technically three while Trunks is four."

"How is that even possible?" he nearly shouted. He could feel that something was definitely not right here. He was asleep for a year but his brother was aging somewhere faster than that.

"We don't know Gohan. It just kind of happened," Krillin finally said while having the nerve to speak up after Bulma's glare. Gohan shook his head as he took a few steps back.

"No, this can't be happening. What is going on? Why are they aging so fast? Why is mom not talking to me? Why…" he started mostly to himself, but stopped when the door opened, revealing a man with blonde hair and blue eyes, "and who is he?"

The moment his last question came out of his mouth, he pointed at the stranger who had just walked into the door. He then knew he made a big mistake, pulling his hand away from pointing at the man to cover his mouth.

"Gohan!" Chi-Chi scolded as she stood up quickly and walked over to him, "Why are you acting so rude?"

"So now you decide to talk!" Gohan shouted back, not caring what his mother would do to him; he was feeling too confused to care. It looked like his mother was going to reply, but a clearing of the throat from the man at the door stopped her. She went to sit down. Gohan stared at the man while he stared back. The stranger finally went over to where everyone else was sitting.

"What woke him up?" the man asked, and Gohan knew that they were talking about him.

"We don't know John, he just woke up," Chi-Chi said and Gohan could tell there was a hidden emotion behind her voice. The man, John, looked over at Bulma for something and, when she nodded, started to walk towards Gohan. Gohan wanted to freak out at that point, but he thought of something first.

_Hey, can I ask you a question?_ He thought while trying to stay calm.

_**Sure. What is it?**_ His other self's answer came through clearly.

_Do you know who this is? Have you ever seen him before?_ Gohan asked. It was a few moments before the reply came.

_**No, I don't think so. Although he does look a bit like someone I knew,**_ came the reply and before he could answer, John was standing in front of him.

"Hello Gohan, I've heard a lot about you," John said while he smiled. Gohan could sense no bad intent from him, but he wasn't really sure what to say. Bulma seemed to sense this and came over to stand next to the blonde haired man.

"Gohan, this is John. He's the doctor that delivered Goten," she said. Gohan nodded, understanding what she meant; but when she had said "doctor", Gohan's first instinct was to run away since he thought "needles". Something that he wasn't really thankful he had inherited from his father.

"Gohan, do you remember anything before waking up?" John asked. Gohan thought hard, trying to remember if he did. The only thing he could remember was his talk with his other self.

"A dream," he stated simply, hoping that the doctor would leave the subject alone; but apparently the man had other ideas.

"Can you remember anything from the dream?" the doctor asked, while Gohan was starting to grow annoyed of this questionnaire starting to turn into an interrogation.

"A dark place with mirrors, voices…" he stated but then decided to avoid mentioning his other self as much as possible, "and my reflection."

John nodded, apparently satisfied with his answers, and went to go and sit down with the others again. Gohan stayed where he was, not really sure where he was welcome. But what John started to say next made him want to leave the room.

"What probably caused his coma to lift was a change in brainwaves…" everyone except Bulma seemed confused as the explanation continued. Gohan suddenly felt tired.

"Can I go back to sleep?" Gohan asked as he stifled a yawn. Everyone stopped their conversation before Krillin answered.

"Well, I guess…" Krillin started, but was interrupted by a shake of the head from John.

"I don't think he should sleep yet. Since he did just wake up, if he falls back asleep it might cause him to enter the coma again," John answered, making Gohan feel irritated. A stranger was in his home telling him what to do. He took one last look at the room and then stormed back to his bedroom, locking the door when he got inside. He sat down on his bed as he heard their conversation continue.

"I'm sorry John, he usually doesn't act like this," his mother said. Gohan sighed at her comment, knowing she was right.

"It's ok Chi-Chi. He's probably just not used to being out of the coma yet," Gohan then felt irritated again. He decided not to listen anymore, lying down on his bed. He was about to shut his eyes when a buzzing feeling came into his head, like someone was trying to intrude. Gohan instantly knew that it was Piccolo trying to talk to him. He quickly strengthened the block on their link and the buzzing went away. He was about to try and sleep again when he heard rummaging outside his door, then followed by voices.

"Hey Goten?" he instantly recognized that the voice belonged to kid Trunks.

"Yeah Trunks?" his brother's reply came. Gohan heard his door knob move a bit before the voices came again.

"Let's try and pick lock the door," kid Trunks said, making Gohan wide awake and get out of his bed. He walked over to the door and knelt done.

"No," Gohan whispered as quietly as he could so they could still hear him, "don't picklock the door. You'll break the lock."

"Yeah but mommy says that you shouldn't lock the door," Goten replied. Gohan mentally groaned before answering.

"Goten, I'm sure that in this situation it's ok. Please, I'm really tired," he half begged as he felt his head throb. There were no more noises outside his door after that, only the sound of small footsteps going into another room. Gohan sighed, returning and lying down on his bed, finally able to put his wandering thoughts to rest.

* * *

><p>Gohan started to laugh as Goten ran around the room, the little boy's tail waving behind him. He looked down at his own tail that was currently wrapped around his waist; his tail had grown back the night after he had met John. When he had woken up, he had gotten a really severe scolding from his mother about locking the door and going back to bed when John had said not to. He didn't really know why John's opinion mattered; the man was a stranger after all. Gohan had also gotten scolded about convincing his brother and friend to guard the door, not letting anyone in. As far as he was concerned, he hadn't asked for his brother or kid Trunks to do that. When he had asked Goten about it, Goten had said,<p>

"Big brother was not feeling well and you needed sleep, so we didn't want anyone to interrupt your sleep."

Gohan had laughed then when his little brother had said that; although he felt sad when he thought about Future Trunks. Krillin had told him that Future Trunks had stayed for half of the year, but went back to his timeline to see how everything was going. He had no idea when Future Trunks would come back, but he hoped that it was soon; Goten was getting to be quite a handful, and with both Chi-Chi and John out of the house- his mother was going shopping and John had to work- Gohan was left to look after his little brother.

Gohan turned his head to watch his younger sibling. He quickly glanced over at the room that John now occupied. The doctor was now staying in the spare room at their house; they had two spare rooms and John took the one closest to his mother's room. Gohan had no idea why the doctor was staying at their house, but when he asked John, the man had said that his mother wanted him to be looked after to make sure that he didn't slip into a coma again.

"Hey Goten, slow down a bit. I don't want you tripping on your tail," Gohan said to his younger brother while laughing. Goten looked at him and smiled. He was starting to think that his little brother was one of the cutest children in the world, with the plus side of looking exactly like his father; which had its benefits and disappointments. Sometimes, Gohan would wake up from a dream and see Goten in his room, thinking that it was his father, but that usually didn't happen often. He was about to ask Goten if he wanted anything when the doorbell rang. Thinking that it was his mom, he ran to the door and opened it, only to be met with the surprised face of Future Trunks.

"Hi Trunks!" Gohan stated while he smiled, happy that his friend was back.

"Gohan, when did you wake up?" Future Trunks was obviously confused, but Gohan could tell that he was happy as well.

"About a week ago. Come on inside. Mom and John are out of the house so I needed to watch…" Gohan stopped as he felt his strength waver, turning around when he felt something tug harshly on his tail. He saw Goten, who was face down on the ground, hanging on Gohan's tail; which made him suddenly feel really dizzy.

"Goten? Get off," he stated as his vision started to dim.

"I tripped," Goten stated while trying to get up, but that only resulted in the small child falling down again while yanking on Gohan's tail more.

"Goten…" he started, but never got to finish as he soon followed his brother towards the ground.

* * *

><p>Trunks had just typed in the coordinates to the past and appeared in front of the Son house. He seen someone in the window and decided to go see if someone was home. He knocked on the door, not quite expecting who answered the door.<p>

"Gohan, when did you wake up?" he asked surprised. Gohan told him about a week ago and looked like he was going to continue when Trunks heard something from behind the younger half Saiyan. He looked around Gohan's shoulder and saw Goten lying on the floor face down. He was about to try and help the little kid when Gohan suddenly fell forward; nearly knocking him over before he caught the unconscious kid. He looked up and saw Goten staring at him strangely.

"Trunks, you got taller," the little boy stated, and then Trunks remembered his kid counterpart.

"Oh no, I'm not your friend Trunks, I'm the Trunks from the future," he said as he smiled, carrying Gohan over to the couch and laying him down, "Do you remember me?"

The little boy thought for a moment before answering.

"Yeah, I think. Trunks told me about you," Goten said before walking over to play with his toys that were currently scattered all over the floor. Trunks laughed a bit in amusement, apparently Gohan's little brother had a short attention span. He stared back down at Gohan and then went over to kneel beside Goten.

_Might as well wait for him to wake up,_ he thought as he helped Goten build a house out of blocks. A few minutes later he was about to try and call Chi-Chi when he heard Gohan wake up and shout,

"No! Why won't you give me some answers?"

* * *

><p>"What is going on? Why didn't you try to wake me up?" Gohan shouted at his now irritated other self. The older boy stared at him for a moment before retaliating,<p>

_**"Hello? It's not my fault! I couldn't contact you for a whole year!"**_

"Then, what happened?" he asked trying to calm both of them down, "Why did you have to make me faint in front of Trunks to talk to me?"

_**"I didn't do that either!"**_ Apparently attempt number one at calming down wasn't working.

"Then what did?" he shouted before he was suddenly knocked to the ground, trying to get his breath back while holding his stomach. His other self stared at him for a moment before answering, anger in his voice.

_**"I don't know what is going on. I don't have all of the answers you seek. You'll just need to find them out on your own,"**_ his other self said. Gohan was about to say something, but was stopped by his vision blurring.

"No! Why won't you give me some answers?" he shouted, then opening his eyes, realized that he was in his living room with Future Trunks and his brother staring at him weird.

"Um, who are you talking to?" Future Trunks asked nervously, obviously not sensing anyone nearby.

"Hehe… big brother is talking in his sleep," Goten laughed as he pointed at Gohan. Gohan sighed, ignoring Goten, before he answered Trunks' question.

"No one, just had a bad dream," he answered, getting off of the couch. Future Trunks nodded.

"Ok, well since you're awake, is it ok if I go say hi to everyone else?" Future Trunks asked, apparently forgetting what he was going to tell Gohan. Gohan nodded his head and leaned back against the couch, keeping an eye on Goten. When he was sure that Future Trunks had left, he started to think.

_What is going on? What is wrong with me?_ He thought as he stared at his carefree brother; for once wishing that he could just forget everything.

* * *

><p>Gohan came out of his room at his mother's call, looking out the window seeing that it was dark outside. He saw his mother sitting beside John on the couch holding hands, something that he did not like to see for some reason. He sighed before going to sit on the floor in front of them.<p>

"What is it?" he asked, trying to forget that John was currently in a five mile radius from him; no, make that currently trying to forget that John even existed. Chi-Chi apparently saw this, but she brushed it off.

"Gohan there is something very important we need to tell you," Chi-Chi started off slow, waiting for his reaction. Gohan, on the other hand, was very confused.

"Don't tell me I'm going to have another sibling…" Gohan started off hesitantly; Goten was becoming too much of a handful on his own so he didn't really think he could handle another one right now. Chi-Chi looked at him and shook her head, laughing a bit.

"No, no it's nothing like that. I just wanted to tell you that John and I will be getting married in a month," Chi-Chi said as she smiled, pleased with her news.

"What?" Gohan blurted out as he stood up, not quite understanding what his mother was saying, "When did you decide that?"

"Well, around five months ago. We waited to tell you since John thought that you should have a few days to recover from your coma," his mother stated, obviously concerned at her son's sudden outburst.

"No," Gohan said as he shook his head, tears starting to blur his vision, "you can't do this to me."

"Gohan, it's time to face reality," Chi-Chi said softly, while Gohan thought the phrase sounded familiar. He suddenly had a flash of white cover his vision, then hearing voices.

_"Gohan you need to sometimes face reality…"_

_ "Dad I have been!"_

"NO!" Gohan screamed as he ran into his room, slamming the door and locking it; not currently concerned of how his power level was now rising at dangerous levels.

* * *

><p>Sorry I figured that I would leave it off there. So, how did you like it? Gohan's acting kind of strange, don't you think? And Chi-Chi is getting married to John. Hmm… what do you think about that? (And please don't send me death notes!) Hope you enjoyed and please review!<p>

-AnimeWolfGirl9


	14. Discovered

**anon:** Haha… I somewhat agree with you for Gohan beating John up. That would be funny! Gohan doesn't seem to really like John, does he?

**peanut butter:** Thanks, I'm glad you enjoy it! Did I make the marriage telling too obvious?

**petites sorcieres: **True, he is taking it pretty well (at least so far). Sometimes I have to feel sorry for him, but then I remember that I'm the one writing this fanfiction. And let's just say that Gohan is going to have a hard time finding the answers he wants, especially when his other self won't tell him.

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><p><span>Chapter 14: Discovered<span>

Gohan sat crouched down on the floor, trying to stop the tears from flowing. He had no idea why he should be upset; maybe it was because he felt betrayed. Betrayed by his father who left him, betrayed by his mother who was betraying his father, betrayed by Piccolo who wouldn't leave the idea of a voice in his head alone…

He groaned slightly when he felt a sharp pain in his right side. He felt his hand clutch at it, instantly knowing it was the Lotus.

_Can't you make it stop?_ He tried asking his other self, but got no reply. He felt like his other self was trying to reply to him, but couldn't. He was then distracted by his mother's voice coming from the other side of door.

"Gohan, please open the door," Chi-Chi pleaded, already knowing that it was locked, "you're not allowed to lock it."

"I don't care," he replied, hoping that his mother wouldn't actually have the strength to knock the door down.

"Gohan, you need to stop being so selfish. You need to think of Goten for once. He needs a father," his mother said, but then Gohan felt the strangely familiar Ki outside the door.

"Gohan, open the door," Piccolo demanded harshly. Gohan shook his head, not really caring what his mentor was saying right then.

The next moment, the door was in pieces, Gohan trying frantically to get away from the sharp pieces of wood and his mentor. He opened his window and jumped out, trying to fly away; but he got no more than a few feet before he was roughly shoved to the ground.

He turned around and glared at Piccolo, who was now currently lowering down towards the ground.

"What was that for?" he demanded, all the while feeling a sickening feeling in his side.

"Gohan, you need to calm down," Piccolo said and Gohan sensed a wave of caution and fear spread through his mentor's Ki.

"I am calm," he said as he stood up, knowing that he was lying. As soon as he was standing, he felt his Ki start to jerk upwards, so he sat down again. Gohan was starting to feel sick again as he sat on the ground.

He suddenly sensed two more Kis coming at full speed towards where they were; his mind instantly identifying them as Future Trunks and Vegeta.

_What do they want?_ He thought with worry, not really wanting everyone to suddenly appear at once. One look at Vegeta told Gohan that the Saiyan Prince was seething. Future Trunks, on the other hand, was looking quite worried and surprised.

_But why?_ He thought, _I'm fine._

Future Trunks looked like he was going to say something, but Piccolo shook his head, silencing the older Super Saiyan.

Gohan looked between the three people that were apparently having a silent conversation; feeling very confused in the process. He felt like he should have someone to talk to, so he tried to contact his other self again.

_Hello? Are you there?_ He asked, expecting to get an answer, but felt very confused when he didn't get one.

_What is going on? Why can't I talk to him?_ He thought, but stopped when he saw Piccolo look over at him with a strange expression on the Namekian's face. Gohan quickly changed his gaze to look at the ground, feeling an uncomfortable feeling spread through him.

"Gohan, power down," Piccolo commanded, the sound of his mentor speaking making Gohan bring his gaze back to them.

_Power down?_ He thought with confusion. He looked over at the river that was near them and saw his Super Saiyan form reflected in the water. He brought his gaze back to his mentor's, trying to still his increasing power level; but he found that the more he tried to stop it, the more it increased.

"I can't," he whispered, trying to stay calm and keep the fear out of his voice, but failing in both. He looked back around at Future Trunks and saw that the older Saiyan looked as if he was thinking hard on something.

_But on what?_ Gohan thought as he stared at his friend. He suddenly felt a pain in his side before closing his eyes, the scene before him not something he wanted to see. He saw a rugged and torn land, with almost no people.

_Where is everybody?_ He thought as he looked around, but then he grew tense as he sensed two familiar things in the distance. He looked in the direction and saw Android's 17 and 18.

_How are they still alive? Daddy and the others destroyed them,_ Gohan thought but then stopped. He was being led by someone; running away from what he guessed was the Androids. He tried to get a look at who was leading him away, but the pain in his side just increased when he tried.

_I need to know,_ he thought as he felt a shiver run through him. He looked up at the figure leading him, seeing an orange Gi and black hair.

_Daddy?_ Gohan thought with a bit of joy, but then he realized something, _No, it's not daddy. This person is different._

Before he could get a better look at the figure, the pain in his side became too much for him to handle; making him let it all out in one giant burst before the image faded and he fell to the ground.

* * *

><p>When he was somewhat conscious again, he figured it had only been a few moments. He heard a voice talking to him, but he couldn't recognize it.<p>

_"Hey Gohan, wake up,"_ the voice said and Gohan automatically assumed it was his other self.

"What happened?" he asked while trying to open his eyes, but he felt too weak to do so.

_"Your Ki kind of exploded,"_ the answer came clearer this time, _"what were you trying to do? Blow up the house?"_

"No, but you said that would sometimes happen," he answered as he felt some of his strength returning.

_"I said what?"_ the voice asked, sounding confused. This also confused Gohan since he remembered his other self telling him that piece of information.

"You said that if my emotions get too out of control, that the Lotus would react to it and…" he started but then stopped when he heard another voice in his head.

_**Stop it! You're telling them everything!**_ He recognized his other self's voice, but then felt confused at who he had been talking to. He opened his eyes and saw the ground in front of him. He sat up from where he was lying down and saw Piccolo, Vegeta, Future Trunks, and the rest of the Z Fighters.

"Um Gohan, what did I say about your Ki and a flower?" Future Trunks was asking with a confused look on his face. Gohan felt his face heat up with embarrassment.

"Um, nothing," he said while trying to back away, but instead ended up running into Krillin. He quickly tried to stand up but his legs apparently didn't want to start working again, so he started to fall towards the ground again. He felt someone catch him and looked up into Piccolo's face.

"Gohan, who were you talking to?" Piccolo asked him, making an uncomfortable feeling start to sit in his stomach. He tried to get away from his mentor by standing up, but he didn't have the strength and collapsed to his knees, already feeling weaker than he had before.

"No one," he stated, trying to make it convincing, but he knew that the moment it came out of his mouth that his statement was already a lie.

"Were you talking in your sleep again?" Future Trunks asked, reminding Gohan of the moment earlier in the day.

"I guess so…" he started but then stopped, not failing to notice Piccolo's eyes narrow a bit. He quickly averted his gaze, staring at the ground in front of him.

"Gohan," his mentor started again, "_who_ were you talking to?"

"Why does that matter?" he demanded, suddenly starting to feel angry, "it was just a dream!"

"If it was a dream though, you had to be talking to someone," Future Trunks stated uncertainly; Gohan then noticed that the older Saiyan whispered something to the rest of the group, all of them dispersing except Future Trunks, Piccolo, Vegeta, and himself.

Gohan stayed silent, not really wanting to talk about anything at that moment, but his mentor had other ideas.

"Who was it Gohan?" Piccolo repeated again with a bit more force this time. Gohan clenched his fists slightly as he felt his power level rise again. The hurt he felt with it combined with his already weakened state helped him a bit.

"Why does it matter?" he shouted as he stood up, this time backing away and towards the river.

"Because something is wrong, Gohan!" Piccolo stated back forcefully, making Gohan feel even worse.

"Nothing is wrong," he said silently, his power level suddenly lowering, making him realize just how exhausted he was. His Ki dropped until he was in base form; the suddenly drop making Gohan sit back down on the floor.

Future Trunks glanced over at Piccolo for a moment before coming over and helping Gohan stand up, a concerned look in the older Saiyan's eyes.

"You don't need to tell us now if you don't want to," Future Trunks said quietly but was interrupted by Piccolo.

"He _needs_ to tell us," the Namekian said, making Future Trunks look down at Gohan, who was wishing he was invisible.

"Could you tell us?" Future Trunks asked, trying to be patient with how the situation was going wrong. Gohan looked up at him for a moment before answering.

"I wasn't talking to anyone…" he started but was startled by what he heard next.

_**Not you two,**_ his other self's voice rang through his head clearer this time, but Gohan could detect a lot of anger beneath those words.

_Why didn't you answer me before?_ Gohan asked, trying to sort everything through his mind.

_**Because you blocked me out,**_ his other self stated and Gohan could have sworn that the other Saiyan was rolling his eyes at him.

_What do you mean? I didn't block you out;_ he started but then stopped when he heard Future Trunks talking to him.

"Um Gohan?" the lavender haired Saiyan asked.

"Yeah?" Gohan said while looking up at his friend, trying to push away the angry feeling that was coming from his other self.

"Why does it sound like there are two of you?" Future Trunks asked, making Gohan look up at him with surprise.

"What do you mean?" he asked, freaking out a bit, although he stopped when his other self interrupted him.

_**Ok Trunks, I don't really have anything against you…**_ his other self said, but then the voice seemed angry again, _**but I would appreciate it if you would just let everyone else get their butts out of here!**_

Gohan cringed slightly at the angry tone his other self was using. He looked back up at Future Trunks to see that he had a confused and startled look on his face.

"Um Gohan, did you say that?" Future Trunks asked while Gohan shook his head.

"So that's who you have been talking to…" Piccolo started but Gohan heard the voice again and realized that it was echoing outside of his head.

_**Well yeah! Are you really that dumb? Seriously, this is why you couldn't stop me from leaving in the first place! Not you, not Goku, only…**_ his other self ranted a bit before becoming silent; Gohan feeling a wave of sadness and regret coming from his other self.

"Only…?" Gohan started, trying to get his other self to finish the sentence, but Piccolo cut in.

"Why aren't you calling Goku 'daddy'?" his mentor asked, apparently talking to the voice.

"Hey…" Gohan started, feeling a bit embarrassed that his mentor would bring it up. Piccolo looked at him for a moment.

"Relax Gohan, you've been calling Goku that for a long time; you still call him that," his mentor said, but now Gohan was feeling a wave of anger from both his other self and himself.

"And _why_ do you have to bring _him_ up?" Gohan shouted, trying to get away from the now surprised Trunks, but failing when Piccolo gave the future Saiyan a look.

_**I agree! Both of them are just a bunch of...!**_ His other self started angrily, but Gohan cut him off.

"Don't finish what you were going to say!" he shouted, already knowing what terror would have unfolded with what his other self was going to scorn his friends with. Gohan then cringed slightly at the pain the Lotus was now giving him.

"Gohan, are you…?" Future Trunks asked in a concerned voice, but Gohan chose the opportunity to get away from his grasp. He kneeled down on the ground and clutched at his side, feeling the sickening feeling again.

"Not helping…" he managed to get out between his now heavy breathing. Right then, he felt like he just wanted to get away from everything, but the pain in his side was starting to become too much.

He tried to stand up and walk back into the house, but quickly sat back down again when his vision started to turn white; making him see something else. Two images formed together as he saw the ground in front of him and then saw it break away, feeling the solid ground but seeing it crumble.

He coughed slightly as his vision returned to normal, realizing that Future Trunks was starting to pick him up. He tried to struggle and say something, but he felt too weak.

"Get him inside," he managed to hear Piccolo say through his now hazy vision, "he can explain later."

Gohan didn't concentrate on what happened next; he was only aware of something soft underneath him and his fading strength, making his vision now turn a peaceful black.

* * *

><p>I'm really sorry that this was a bit delayed. I had to get my teeth pulled the other day so I am still a bit drowsy from that. I just realized that I do a lot of cliffhangers, huh? Well, I hope you enjoyed and please review!<p>

-AnimeWolfGirl9


	15. A Lot of Explaining

**4starfox**: I'm glad you enjoy it! Here's the next chapter!

**Bardock821:** Thanks!

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 15: A Lot of Explaining<span>

Gohan opened his eyes and sat up quickly, but relaxed when he saw that he was in his room. He looked around and then remembered what had happened before he had passed out. He groaned slightly at the pain that his body was just now registering.

_How can you talk outside of my head?_ He asked, not quite expecting to get an answer.

_**I have a lot of explaining to do, don't I?**_ His other self asked in an exhausted tone.

_Yes you do,_ he said, but stopped when he remembered that the others might possibly hear them. His other self registered his concern.

_**Don't worry; they can't hear us right now, well maybe everyone except Piccolo,**_ his other self said with a sigh.

_That's good. Now, where do you start in explaining all of this to me? I had thought that you had told me everything, but apparently not…_ he started to answer, but stopped when he felt a wave of panic from his other self.

_**I'll explain everything, but I can't yet. Not yet. Please, just wait a bit longer,**_ his other self pleaded, making Gohan surprised at the other Saiyan's behavior.

_Fine, but only for a bit,_ he answered, but stopped when he heard voices coming from his living room. He quietly stood up and leaned against the door, masking his power level so the others couldn't sense him.

He sensed that his mother's Ki was in her room undisturbed, so he figured that Piccolo had passed her out so she wouldn't have freaked out earlier.

"I told you this would happen sooner or later!" an angry voice was the first thing Gohan heard; his mind registered it as Vegeta.

"Be quiet, you could wake him up," Krillin's voice then reached through the door with an air of caution.

"Sure, as if the half-breed could actually hear us," Vegeta retorted.

"Father, do you have to do this now?" Future Trunks asked and Gohan could sense that his friend was getting irritated, "Gohan was out cold when we brought him in. He needs to rest."

"I know that his physical condition is very concerning right now, but I'm more worried about what that voice was saying earlier," Piccolo said, giving both Gohan and his other self a sense of unease.

"Yeah, that's true. It did seem like that voice knew us, didn't it?" Future Trunks questioned.

_Did you know them?_ Gohan asked his other self. There was a moment's silence before his answer came.

_**Yeah, I knew all of them. Trunks came from the future to tell us about the Androids and about some kind of disease Goku would have,**_ his other self answered while Gohan could sense that the other Saiyan was now more relaxed, but at the mention of Androids, Gohan remembered the vision that he had seen.

_I saw something before I had passed out the first time. It seemed like I was running from the Androids, but it was in a place that I didn't recognize. And the strange part was that I had been looking at Future Trunks before I saw it. Any ideas of what happened?_ Gohan asked, getting a strange feeling.

_**There are a lot of things I haven't explained to you yet,**_ his other self stated, _**most of them are about what the Lotus can do. One of the powers of the Lotus is to look into the memories of others.**_

_ So you are saying that I was looking at one of Trunks' memories?_ Gohan asked, now shocked at what he was hearing, but what came next made him even more confused.

_**Yeah, but something is strange. Usually only Lotus hosts can share memories…**_ his other self trailed off, apparently deep in thought.

_How do you know all of this? And are you saying that Trunks could be a Lotus host too?_ He asked, not quite understanding what was being said.

_**As for Trunks being a Lotus host, I have no clue. It's not unlikely that other Lotus hosts could still exist; it's rare, but still possible. As for how I know, I had a…**_ his other self thought for a moment before continuing, _**friend that explained all of this to me. She is the only way that I know so much about the Lotus.**_

Gohan was about to ask his other self who that person was, but stopped when he heard talking again.

"He blew a crater into the ground!" Vegeta was yelling now and Gohan guessed that there would have been more yelling if Trunks wouldn't have cut in.

"Yeah, but the strange part was that he wasn't in Super Saiyan 2. It looked like he was close, but then the transformation just stopped," Future Trunks said, which obviously made the room think because of the silence that followed.

"I wonder what made it stop," Krillin said after a while, "I wasn't there to witness it like you Trunks, but that is kind of weird."

"What's even stranger is that we had tried to talk to him to calm him down, but it was like he couldn't hear us," Piccolo stated.

"Why do you think that is?" Tien was now speaking and for some reason Gohan felt a wave of relief coming from his other self.

"I think I saw something…" Future Trunks said but stopped. The room was silent for a few seconds before the talking continued.

"Saw what?" Yamcha asked, but Gohan was getting another strange feeling.

"I don't really know. I remember my vision going white for a bit, and then it was like my memories were coming back. The ones from my past," Future Trunks answered and Gohan felt a shiver go through his spine.

"You mean the ones in your timeline?" Yamcha questioned and Gohan could tell that everyone was getting uneasy.

"Yes, at least I think so…" Future Trunks said before trailing off. Suddenly, Gohan felt a presence outside the window and whipped his head around, only for the feeling to disappear. He shook his head before continuing to listen.

"So, how is the future coming along Trunks? Is the rebuilding going well?" Krillin asked and Gohan could tell that his adoptive uncle was trying to lighten the mood. What worried him though was the pang of sadness that radiated from Future Trunks' Ki.

"Well that's the strange part. I went back to the future and found…" the lavender haired Saiyan started to say, but then stopped, making Gohan concerned about his friend.

"Found what?" Tien asked, making Gohan have a strange feeling shoot through him.

"Everyone was dead. I don't get it. The whole town was in ruins; no one was alive. I went back to my mother's lab to see if she could tell me what happened but…" Future Trunks said, but Gohan didn't listen any more. He walked back to his bed and nearly fell along the way, lying down on the soft fabric and staring absentmindedly at the ceiling.

_Everyone in the future is dead?_ Gohan thought with unease, _but why? The Androids were defeated. That must have been what Trunks had been trying to tell us the day he came to the house._

_**Go back and listen!**_ His other self demanded in a frantic voice.

_Why?_ He asked, not really having the strength to want to know more.

_**Just go! I need to know…**_ his other self started, but Gohan didn't need any more prompting because of a strange urge that came over him. He hurried back over to the door and listened.

"Do you have any idea what would have done that?" Yamcha asked in a worried tone. Gohan knew that he had already missed something in the conversation, but he wasn't sure what.

"No, it's strange. It wasn't the Androids this time, I'm sure of it. But I have no idea what could have done something like that," Future Trunks said before the room lapsed into silence again.

"I'm just glad that Goten and Trunks are at Bulma's. I have no idea how they would have handled Gohan if he had blown up the house…" Tien started to say, trying to switch the conversation to something else. Gohan felt a bit of anger at his friend's words, but he realized his mistake when he felt his power level rise a bit. He heard the conversation stop and felt Piccolo's Ki come near his room.

"Gohan?" his mentor questioned. Gohan didn't move, trying not to breathe or make a sound to alert his mentor that he was awake, but apparently he did something wrong. The door then started to swing open but Gohan then caught it, glaring angrily at his mentor.

"Don't you know there is something called privacy?" he shouted before slamming the door in his mentor's face and locking it. He heard the doorknob try to move, but with no success. He quickly walked over to the window and unlocked it, jumping through and flying off into the air.

_Where can I go now?_ He thought, but his other self quickly answered him.

_**Grandpa Gohan's house,**_ the other Saiyan stated quickly and Gohan could tell that his other self was nervous. He flew off in the direction of the woods and lowered down to the ground, masking his power level and walking through the woods to get to his grandfather's house.

When he got to the little shack, he opened the door and slipped inside. He instantly covered his nose because of the dusty smell, but he quickly got used to it. Of course the small house was in the condition it was; no one had been there for a few years.

Gohan lied down on a little mattress that was sitting on the ground and stared at the wall, feeling a melancholy feeling come over him from being at his grandpa's house.

_**Why are you so depressed?**_ His other self's voice suddenly came into his head; the feeling his other self was radiating was a bit of concern and anger.

_Because, this was grandpa's house, and don't you remember when Daddy would bring us here?_ Gohan asked, but was surprised when he got his answer.

_**Yeah, of course I remember. You shouldn't be sad; besides, you didn't even know your grandpa. And why would it matter if Goku brought you here?**_ His other self demanded harshly, surprising Gohan. He was wondering why his other self was referring to the memories being his only, that and why his other self was being so harsh on Daddy.

_But it would matter; we had such fun here. Was your past that much different than mine?_ He questioned, feeling a bit bad for his other self and what the older Saiyan had to go through.

_**No, the past isn't that different. It's just… things changed,**_ his other self said while sighing.

_Then why are you so bitter towards daddy?_ Gohan asked with a bit of concern, but stopped when he felt a burst of anger from his other self.

_**Stop calling him that! He doesn't deserve it! He abandoned you and he abandoned me!**_ Gohan winced at the hurt and angry tone that his other self was using so he decided to let it go. Then he thought of something.

_How old did you say you are?_ He asked, not quite remembering what his other self had told him about the past.

_**I was twelve when I left, at least I think. Although now you could consider me three-hundred and twelve years old…**_ his other self trailed off for a moment, giving Gohan time to think.

_So, let me get this straight,_ he started, _if you are one year older than me, then what happened to you is going to happen to me soon…_

_** What? I didn't say that!**_ His other self declared, but Gohan wasn't listening.

_That means that if you tell me everything that has happened to you, we could be prepared for it!_ He concluded, but was a bit taken aback by his answer.

_**No! You have it all wrong; that's not how anything goes!**_ His other self chided him.

_Then how does it work?_ He sighed; getting information was becoming a lot harder than it used to be.

_**I don't really want to explain it right now,**_ the older Saiyan said tiredly, _**and besides, I think you should rest.**_

Gohan shook his head, but he let it go when he got no other answer. He had to admit that his other self was right, he was tired, but he had too much on his mind to sleep at that moment.

_**I'll help then,**_ his other self's voice came through and then Gohan felt exhausted, white mist covering his gaze before he fell asleep; not realizing that the front door of the small house was starting to creak open.

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><p>I'm sorry, I couldn't help but to end it there. I have a few questions for you though; who do you think found Gohan? And what do you think will happen next? And why do you think Gohan's other self is so bitter towards Goku? Also, I put a little bit of a contradiction in this chapter; I will tell you what it is in the next chapter's author's note, but I would like to see what you thought it was. Once again, I hope you enjoyed and please review!<p>

-AnimeWolfGirl9


	16. Breaking Down

**starfox4:** I'm glad you really enjoy it! Here you go!

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><p><span>Chapter 16: Breaking Down<span>

Gohan opened his eyes and was relieved to find that he was still inside his grandfather's house, but he didn't expect to see a shadow move against the wall. He instinctively stood up and got into a guarding position, staying still while the shadow came closer. The shadow was about a foot away from him when he swung at it with his fist, hitting the person in the jaw with a punch.

"Ouch!" the owner's shadow exclaimed while falling backwards; Gohan then recognized his mistake when he realized that the shadow belonged to Future Trunks.

"Sorry Trunks," he apologized as he went over to help his friend up, taking a glance out the window on the way over and seeing that it was already dark outside.

"Uh it's ok. I was going to say for you not to worry about anyone else being here, I didn't alert them. I just wanted to see if you were ok. I came in and saw you sleeping, so I waited," Future Trunks explained while Gohan gave him a grin.

"Yeah sorry about punching you…" Gohan stated as he trailed off, not sure of what else to say.

"Gohan, is everything ok?" Future Trunks asked after a moment of silence, "You have been acting kind of different since when I left."

"Why does everyone have to say that?" Gohan mumbled miserably while tucking his knees against his chest. Future Trunks took this as a sign that he was uncomfortable.

"Everyone says that?" Trunks questioned while looking at him, earning a nod from Gohan.

"It's ridiculous; everyone now thinks that there is something wrong with me, but I would know if there was. They just don't understand…" Gohan said and then trailed off again, leaving the room in silence.

"I think I would understand, given the circumstances that have just happened and everything about my past…" Trunks said while looking over at Gohan, earning him a nod.

"It's just that they don't know what it feels like," Gohan sighed in defeat, wishing that everything was a lot easier to understand. They sat in silence for a bit, Gohan staring outside at the area around the house.

"Did that voice talk to you anymore?" Trunks asked after a while. Gohan was about to reply, but someone else did for him.

_**Yeah we talked. But seriously Trunks, you need to be more aware. I can hear your conversation,**_ his other self said, making Gohan feel kind of awkward.

"Um, sorry about that too…" Gohan started, but his other self apparently was ignoring him.

_**What's to be sorry about? You had better get used to me talking outside of your head Gohan since it will be happening a lot now that the others know about me,**_ his other self stated.

"Please don't tell me that you are going to do that around my mom," Gohan pleaded.

_**Uh no. That would be bad, very bad…**_ his other self commented quickly, the scene playing in his head making him cringe a bit. Then he remembered that Future Trunks was still there.

"Oops, sorry again Trunks. It's just that the two of us usually get into a conversation and I can't really concentrate on anything else," Gohan quickly apologized but Trunks shook his head.

"It's ok. I can understand how hard that would be," the older Saiyan said in a comforting tone.

"Are the others still looking for me?" Gohan asked hesitantly after a few moments. Trunks' face turned from smiling into one of shock.

"Oops, I should probably tell them…" Future Trunks started to say, but Gohan quickly interrupted him.

"No!" he stated quickly, making Future Trunks look back at him with a worried glance.

"Gohan, they are worried about you. I just think it would be a good idea to…" Trunks started to say but then stopped. When Future Trunks had mentioned about telling everyone else, Gohan had started to shake with the sick and uneasy feeling that was returning. He sat on the ground and tried to block himself from the world, but that seemed quite impossible at the moment. He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up, seeing a blurry image of Future Trunks.

"It's ok, I wouldn't tell them anything of what happened in here," Trunks said softly, but Gohan shook his head again. Future Trunks sighed and sat down beside him, not saying anything for a while.

"Gohan, I really do want to know what's wrong. At least what you're feeling," Trunks said after a while with a defeated tone. Gohan looked back at his friend through a blurry vision.

"What do I feel?" he whispered as he stared at the ground, "I really don't know."

Gohan could tell that Trunks was getting uncomfortable by his friend's Ki, but he really didn't know how to explain everything.

"Gohan, I'll tell you something your future self used to tell me," Trunks said while Gohan looked up at him, giving him a nod, "You used to tell me that it's not good to bottle up your emotions, and that sometimes it's better when you talk about things to other people."

Gohan sighed; he knew where this was going. His father had often told him that, but even though Gohan had done that in the past, he wasn't really sure how to explain everything. He felt moisture start to pool at his vision again. He suddenly leaned against Trunks; the older boy letting him just lay there.

"How do I explain everything?" He asked, "There's so much more than what you know, what I know…"

He trailed off, feeling uncomfortable again. They sat in silence for a while, Gohan getting the feeling that Trunks wanted him to continue.

"I just feel lost sometimes," he started, feeling the tears slowly drip down onto the floor, "I know he died to save everyone, but sometimes I wish that I could just stop time and head back, change everything."

"Sometimes I feel that way too, that's why I came back into the past," Trunks said. Gohan nodded, feeling sick but wanting to continue.

"And other times, I feel mad at him. I usually don't know why. Maybe it's because he left or because I don't know how to really be a big brother to Goten, or it's probably because of that voice…" Gohan trailed off when he felt a bit of anger at everything.

_**Hey, why are you bringing me into this?**_ His other self demanded angrily.

_Be quiet!_ Gohan snapped, _and besides, you hate him too!_

His other self didn't comment back, Gohan not really being sure if Trunks heard that. If his friend had, Trunks gave no comment about it.

Gohan sighed, not really sure how to continue. Suddenly, he felt everything from the past year coming rushing towards him; all the emotions that he missed while in his coma.

"It's just not fair!" he shouted as he felt himself crying again, "I hate it! Why can't I understand anything? Why didn't I just listen to him? Why did I have to fail!"

Trunks, obviously surprised by his sudden outburst, let Gohan lean on his shoulder. Gohan just cried, wanting to get everything out. He knew he was shaking again, and that Vegeta would probably call him weak if he ever found out, but at that moment, he really didn't care.

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><p>And I guess I'll leave it off at that. I'm sorry that this was delayed, and that it was shorter, but it was more of a Future Trunks-Gohan bonding time, don't you think? Either way, Gohan is going to have some serious problems when he gets back, especially if Chi-Chi finds out about the whole thing. I would just like to know: how did I do with this chapter? I wasn't really sure how to approach it (even though it is important for everything later on, Future Trunks is going to play a HUGE role in later chapters). Either way, I hope you enjoyed it and please review! (Also, I'll have the next chapter up soon!)<p>

-AnimeWolfGirl9


	17. A Mother Instinct

**MissieMidget1204:** Thanks and glad you are back!

**4starfox:** To answer your questions, Goku will find out about everything sometime in this fanfiction, but the way he does, I cannot tell you yet. And let's just say with this next chapter that Gohan can't always hide everything from his mom.

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><p><span>Chapter 17: A Mother's Instinct<span>

Gohan was sitting in his room lying on his bed, trying to sort through everything that had happened in the past few hours. He remembered crying, then Trunks had taken him home, but he couldn't really remember anything else.

And now, he was trying to sort through all of the complicated emotions that were going through him.

_Why did I just have to break down like that?_ He wondered, feeling kind of strange to have cried in front of Trunks.

_**Yeah, why did you have to? It was kind of awkward,**_ his other self stated.

_And how would you know?_ Gohan retorted, feeling a bit angry at his other self for reading his private thoughts all the time.

_**I have to feel everything you feel, so I would know. Either way, everyone cries sometime in their life, so I suggest that you get over it,**_ his other self said, making Gohan wonder something.

_How do you know so much?_ He asked, hoping that he was not intruding.

_** Let's just say that you learn from experiences, ok?**_ His other self answered and became silent, signaling that the conversation was over.

Gohan thought for a while what his other self had said.

_Learn from experiences? Did a lot of horrible stuff happen to him to be able to know so much?_ Gohan wondered.

He knew that the 'learn from experiences' part was true; all of his friends, father, and even himself had done that by learning when versing enemies in the past. But what he was stumped on was how little he knew about his other self.

_Maybe I should ask him a bit more,_ Gohan thought and was about to, but was stopped when he heard the door open. He quickly sat up and stared at the door, surprised when he saw his mother's face.

"Gohan, can I talk to you for a moment?" Chi-Chi asked. Gohan nodded, wondering what his mother would actually want to know. Chi-Chi came and sat beside him on the bed.

"How are you feeling, Gohan?" Chi-Chi asked, surprising Gohan. He stared at her for a moment before answering.

"Ok, I guess," he answered, lying back down on his bed. He really didn't feel like talking at that moment, but he knew that for some reason it was important.

"Gohan, I would like a more elaborate answer, please," his mother stated. Gohan was wondering why she hadn't just accepted his answer, but then he thought of something.

_Trunks,_ he thought, realizing that Future Trunks had probably told his mother about what had happened back at his grandfather's house.

_He must have told; even when he promised,_ Gohan pouted a bit.

_**Get over it. Either that, or you could talk to him about it,**_ his other self said and for once, Gohan thought of it a bit as advice.

_I think I'll talk to him,_ Gohan answered, not really sure how to react to Trunks betraying him. It seemed to be a common theme: his father was betraying him by leaving, Trunks had just betrayed him, Piccolo was betraying him by asking so many questions…

"Gohan, are you ok?" Chi-Chi asked with concern, pulling Gohan from his thoughts. He looked at her through a blurry vision, not really understanding what he had missed.

"No," he said quietly, "I don't think I am anymore."

Chi-Chi was surprised and a bit hurt from his words. When Gohan looked back up at his mother, she was crying.

"Mom…" Gohan started, but Chi-Chi quickly excused herself from the room and left.

Gohan angrily brought his hand down on his covers when he heard the telephone being used by his mother.

_Why am I breaking down so much?_ He questioned angrily as tears kept slipping down his face.

_**Because you feel sad, alone, grief-stricken…**_ his other self answered in a sad tone.

Gohan left it at that, lying down on his bed and faceing the wall, trying to block out the cursed sounds from in the hallway.

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><p>Sorry, I know, another short (fillerish) chapter. This is also important for the story later on; I just didn't know how to end it any other way. Either way, now you know that Trunks did end up betraying Gohan by telling his mother, and Gohan isn't feeling too merciful about it either. Also, I have a few questions for you: Who do you think Chi-Chi is calling? Why do you think Future Trunks 'betrayed' Gohan? And why do you think Gohan's other self is acting the way he is? Also, a few Special Events are going to happen in the next few chapters, so be on the lookout for those (I would like to know if you can remember or guess any of them). I hope you enjoyed this chapter and please review!<p>

-AnimeWolfGirl9


	18. A Second Try

**AnimeWolfGirl16:** Great guesses! And thanks for the review!

**petites sorcieres:** Good guess! And yeah, I do have to say that Gohan's other self has been through some similar things as Gohan. His life was almost the same up until the Cell Games should have taken place.

**4starfox: **Thanks! And yeah, Goku (as of right now) knows nothing of what is going on, at least since the Bojack incident. And let's say that Gohan doesn't really want his father, or anyone else, to find out any more.

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><p><span>Chapter 18: A Second Try<span>

Gohan sighed, hoping that this day would not be a repeat of the time before. His mother had finally had the nerve to tell him that he had to go back to school, making Gohan dread the fact that he had been missing for a year.

Gohan also wasn't happy that he hadn't had any time to talk to Trunks, and about who his mother had called. He remembered what had happened a few nights ago.

* * *

><p><em> "Gohan, can I come in?" Bulma's voice rang out from beyond the door. Gohan had been half asleep, but he woke up when he heard Bulma's voice.<em>

_ "Sure," he said, wondering why his longtime friend was here, but then he suddenly remembered that his mother had called someone._

_ Bulma opened the door to reveal that she was not alone. His mother was with her, that and someone Gohan did not want to see at that moment._

_ "No," he said harshly before lying back down, trying to mostly ignore the one he didn't want to talk to the most: his mentor. He stared at the wall with his back against them._

_ "Gohan, we would just like to talk," Bulma said gently. Gohan bit his lip, knowing that he didn't really want to be rude to Bulma; the only problem being there was one person he didn't want to talk to at that moment._

_ "I don't want to," Gohan stated, trying to calm the bit of rising anger and fear that he was feeling._

_ "Gohan…" his mother started, but then she stopped; Gohan guessed that someone had probably hushed her. He then felt Bulma and his mother's Ki leave the room, the door being shut proof enough that he was now alone with his mentor._

_ "What do you want?" Gohan asked, still staring at the wall and refusing to look at his mentor. He heard a sigh from behind him._

_ "Gohan, your mother called Bulma and then hunted me down. She is obviously desperate about what she told us," Piccolo started to say. Gohan felt a bit more anger, realizing that everyone was betraying him now._

_ "What she told you," Gohan repeated softly, trying best he could to stop himself from yelling, "And what exactly did she tell you?"_

_ He heard another sigh, followed by a moment of tense silence. He knew that his mentor probably didn't want to be in his room at the moment, at least not with the way things were between them._

_ He felt something intrude at the back of his mind, realizing that Piccolo was trying to reopen the link. Gohan stubbornly tried pushing him away. He was a bit relieved when the prodding stopped for a moment._

_ "Gohan, open the link," Piccolo demanded, although Gohan could tell that it wasn't with the usual harshness that his mentor would use when demanding something._

_ "No," he stated simply, realizing with a bit of satisfaction that Piccolo's Ki rose a bit at his mentor's frustration._

_ "I don't think you want to talk about anything out loud," Piccolo said, making his demand present in what Gohan definitely did not want to do._

_ "So? It's not like I have to talk at all. I am entitled to my own opinion," Gohan stated and was about to say more when he felt the prodding in his head grow more consistent, making him have a dull headache. _

_When the block still didn't budge, he could tell that his mentor was getting irritated._

"_Gohan…" Piccolo demanded with a hint of warning, but Gohan was feeling his patience slip away fast, being replaced by his fast rising anger._

"_Why can't everyone just leave me alone?" he yelled, whipping around to face his mentor._

"_Because everyone is worried about you," Piccolo answered calmly, making Gohan a bit angry that his mentor was staying calm. He took a deep breath before answering._

"_Well they don't need to be worried; I'm fine," he stated, averting his gaze from his mentor's and staring at the floor. _

"_Gohan, I think that with the way you have been acting lately that you're not as fine as you say you are," Piccolo stated after a moment of silence. Gohan didn't want to answer so he just kept silent. He closed his eyes and lied back down on his bed, wanting more than anything for everyone to just leave him alone._

There now isn't that better?_ He whipped back up when he heard Piccolo's voice inside his head._

When did you…?_ He started uncertainly._

Gohan, listen. I know that you would rather discuss things this way,_ his mentor stated, making Gohan a bit angry again._

I would rather not discuss anything at all!_ He mentally shouted, trying to block his mentor out but with no success._

**I second that,**_ his other self suddenly decided to add his two cense on the subject._

He's still talking to you?_ Piccolo asked him, but Gohan didn't get time to answer because his other self cut him off._

**Of course I am!**

Doesn't that ever get annoying?_ Piccolo questioned. Gohan thought about it for a moment._

Yes,_ he thought, just as his other self answered, _**no.**

**I take that as offending! I'm not that annoying,** _his other self stated in a_ _sort of pout._

Only when I don't want you talking to me,_ Gohan sent back. He wanted to laugh at the irritation that was coming off of his other self at that statement, but he didn't have time to._

Gohan, make him leave;_ Piccolo demanded suddenly,_ we need to talk.

I can't just make him leave,_ Gohan stated angrily, _and I already told you that I am not going to talk to you!

Gohan, look at me,_ Piccolo demanded. He regretfully obeyed and stared at his mentor, well more like glared at him. That made Piccolo have to take a deep breath before replying, but that was the problem, he didn't reply. _

_Gohan just continued to glare, getting more impatient with each passing second. He was thinking about saying something when, thankfully, his other self intervened._

**Are you going to say something Piccolo or are you just going to leave?**

Yes, I was going to say something,_ Piccolo stated a bit irritated, but then demanded, _Gohan, explain.

Explain what?_ He asked, starting to get a bad feeling about how this conversation was going._

Explain everything that you know,_ Piccolo demanded, making Gohan even more confused. What did Piccolo want him to do, explain his whole life story up until this point? But then he got it, understood what his mentor meant._

No,_ he stated rudely, going back to trying and ignoring his mentor's presence._

Gohan, I need to know what _he_ has told you,_ Piccolo stated, referring to what his other self had told him._

Well sure, if you consider that everything that he has told me is supposed to be kept to myself,_ Gohan stated as he got off of the bed and stood up, _haven't you learned there is something called 'privacy'?

Gohan, last thing I remember, you were the one who was listening in to our conversation,_ Piccolo said as he smirked, reminding Gohan of when he had woken up after nearly blowing the house up._

I had good reason! You guys were keeping everything from me anyway. And besides, _he_ wouldn't let me leave it alone,_ Gohan stated, but then his eyes widened at his mistake. Piccolo seemed to catch it._

And why wouldn't he let you leave it alone?_ His mentor asked, making Gohan feel all of a sudden like he was backed into a corner._

I don't know! He didn't tell me!_ Gohan yelled through the link, feeling a sense of fear and desperation run through him. Piccolo looked about to say something, but his other self cut him off._

**He's right. I didn't tell him. And I have specific reasons for doing so,** _his other self cut in, and Gohan couldn't mistake the silent anger in his other self's voice._

And what sort of 'specific reasons' do you mean?_ Piccolo questioned just as a red light went off in Gohan's head. He felt the warning too; a strained feeling coming from inside him from his other self's increase in anger._

**Why does everyone always have to intrude? Why does everyone always have to stand in my way? **_His other self questioned angrily, making Gohan wince as his power level increased and made him turn into a Super Saiyan._

Calm down,_ Gohan thought with a bit of fear, knowing that when his other self got like this that it was never good._

_ Gohan noticed that Piccolo seemed a bit surprised since he had a confused look on his face._

Stand in your way? For what?_ Piccolo asked while Gohan had a feeling that he was no longer included in the conversation._

**I don't need to tell you!**_ His other self shouted, all the while starting to make Gohan feel sick. He then suddenly knew where this was all going._

Don't!_ He tried to stop his other self from making a mistake, but he knew he was too late when he felt his power level skyrocket and then drop, making him drop to the floor in the process._

* * *

><p>Gohan sighed, feeling irritated. Apparently after that he had been in a non-respondent state and wouldn't talk anymore, but he wasn't sure how much of that was true. He also hadn't heard from his other self since that night.<p>

_He probably feels bad about the whole thing,_ Gohan thought with another sigh; at least he hoped that his other self felt bad about it instead of being angry.

To try and distract his thoughts, Gohan looked around at the scenery around him. Luckily the clouds had decided not to have a downpour today, or else he would have had to fly lower.

The sun shined brightly through the cover of the clouds as they wandered past him; the rays of light reflecting and shining off of the white color of the clouds.

Gohan sighed, feeling for once at peace since the last year or so. He felt like he could just stay up in the clouds forever, not really caring what would be happening around him. He had already missed a year, what would wasting more time matter to him?

He knew that he was having impossible expectations, but he sometimes just couldn't help it, never could since he was little.

Gohan knew he was fast approaching the school so he lowered towards the ground and landed a few blocks away from the school.

_This is not going to turn out well,_ he thought, knowing that even though his mother had told the principal that he had been in a coma that things would not be good today.

Gohan felt a strange sense of repeat as he walked towards the classroom, knowing that something was probably going to go wrong.

_Well, here goes nothing,_ he thought as he knocked on the door and entered.

Just as he had predicted, everyone was staring at him strangely; like he was a ghost or something. Gohan just sighed and made his way up to his seat to sit near Kevin, Sharpner, and Erasa. He didn't fail to notice that Videl was missing.

Sharpner and Erasa were looking like they had just seen someone rise from the dead, although Gohan knew how that felt since he had seen it before countless times.

"Hi Gohan," Kevin said with a smile on his face. Gohan breathed a sigh of relief; at least one of his friends was still acting normal.

"Hi Kevin. What did I miss?" Gohan started to whisper since the class started.

"Nothing much, just a year's worth of lessons," Kevin joked good-naturedly, "don't worry though, the teacher said that you don't have to make the work up. He said something about your mom calling and explaining that you already knew the information or something like that."

Gohan didn't really remember his mother telling the teachers that, but he decided to ask her when he got home.

"Why does everyone look like they saw a ghost?" he asked, wanting to change the subject a bit. Kevin started smiling.

"Oh they just thought you were going to never come back and die or something," Kevin stated, "but I knew that you would come back."

Gohan started to smile, but he felt somewhat confused about what Kevin had said.

"Kevin, are you spying on me or something?" he asked, earning a confused look from his friend.

"No, why?" Kevin asked in a confused tone.

"It's just that you seem to know a lot about me, like stuff that you shouldn't know. Like you saying that I was talking to a voice in my head a year ago and about 'knowing' that I would wake up from my coma," Gohan explained, sensing that with each new word he said, Kevin's Ki started radiating fear.

"No, those were just guesses. They just happened to be right," Kevin stated nervously, but then he became quiet.

_Why does he keep lying to me? He obviously knows more than he is letting on,_ he thought with a sigh, turning back to then listen in to lesson.

The rest of the school day passed quickly and without much event. Gohan found it a bit interesting that Videl still didn't show up for the rest of school, even though it was now English.

_Where is she?_ He wondered, not sure if she was sick or not, _I shouldn't really be worrying, but she is my friend._

He then decided to forget about Videl as soon as the lesson started.

When the bell rang, Gohan hurried to his locker to get some things to bring home. He was just about to leave when Kevin came up to him.

"Gohan, can I ask you something?" his friend asked, looking a bit nervous.

"Sure, what is it?" Gohan answered, wondering what it was his friend wanted.

"Do you mind sometime if I come over to your house and meet your parents?" Kevin asked, making Gohan feel a bit of sadness.

"Sure, I can ask my mom, but don't you have to ask your parents first?" he asked, wondering why the situation seemed a bit strange.

"I already got their permission; I just wanted to make sure that it was ok with you first," Kevin stated, closing his locker.

"Um its fine, would this weekend work?" Gohan asked, not really sure how this was going to work out since he had never had a kid his age come over to his house.

"Sure, but don't we have a Biology test on Monday?" Kevin asked with a smile.

"We can just bring our books to my house to study. I know that my mom couldn't object to that," Gohan said while also starting to smile.

"Ok, I guess I'll see you tomorrow!" Kevin shouted as he ran out the door, reminding Gohan of his younger brother.

Gohan laughed as he ran out the door, expecting to see his friend but was surprised when he did not. He also couldn't sense Kevin's Ki.

_Is he a ghost or something?_ Gohan wondered with a smile, always being surprised at what Kevin could say or do next. He then lifted off into the sky, eager to get home.

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><p>I'm going to leave it off there for now, but the next chapter will be coming out soon. I'm really sorry that it took me this long to upload this. For starters, I just found out that my bird died shortly after we got back from vacation, among other things that I had to do. So I hope that this chapter made up for it a bit. And I needed to get Gohan back to school since I needed to reintroduce Kevin since he's important, so please don't flame me or anything about this; like I said, the next few chapters or so will hopefully have a few more interesting things in it, as well as answering all of your questions about Kevin. I hope you enjoyed and please review!<p>

-AnimeWolfGirl9


	19. Why Must Things Be So Complicated?

**4starfox:** Thanks! I'm glad you enjoy it!

**MissieMidget1204:** Thanks! And I'm glad you caught up!

**Seraphinit:** I do have to say that Kevin is a little strange, although more about him will be revealed in the next few chapters.

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><p><span>Chapter 19: Why Must Things Be So Complicated?<span>

Gohan did not expect to see what he had when he was flying home from school. All he had been doing was musing over his friend and the lack of homework that day.

_What is that?_ He thought as he stared down at the skirmish below where he was flying. He was still currently in Hercule City, so he had a ways to go before getting home. He heard a sigh in his head.

_**That is what's called a bank robbery, genius,**_ his other self cut in with a sigh.

Gohan had a feeling that he should do something, but he didn't know what. He stopped flying and stared confused at the scene below him, watching with a bit of anger as the robbers got into a car.

_**You're going to just let them get away!**_ His other self shouted at him angrily.

He sighed, floating down into a cover of trees near where the robbers' car would be driving past.

_I don't know,_ he answered truthfully, _what do I do to stop them?_

He heard another agitated sigh.

_**Apparently you're going to need a lot of work,**_ his other self mumbled, _**try intervening the car.**_

He nodded, but then had a thought.

_But I don't want the people to get hurt,_ he thought, _even if they are doing something wrong, they don't deserve to die for it._

_**Have you learned NOTHING from your encounters with past villains?!**_ His other self shouted, _**Raditz, Frieza, Cell… seriously do I have to continue?!**_

Gohan flinched a bit when his other self said 'Cell', but he understood what was being said.

_Fine!_ He thought, _I'll help, but I'm going to do everything I can not to get them hurt!_

His only answer was a sense of irritation from his other self.

He was just about to wonder why when he saw the car that the robbers were in come speeding towards the coverage of trees he was in.

He quickly jumped out of the trees and flew towards the car, hoping that he wasn't too late.

Standing in the car's way, he suddenly felt his power level increase as he hovered in the air. What resulted next was a giant explosion, sending him flying backwards.

_**Great job, you blew the car up,**_ his other self stated sarcastically.

_What?!_ He thought as he shot up into the air, flying away as fast as he could.

* * *

><p>"Mom, I'm home," Gohan shouted as he walked into the door, not surprised when he didn't receive an answer.<p>

_She's probably outside,_ he thought, but then the next idea made him frown, _or with John._

He had been finding it very unpleasant over the past few weeks that his mother was spending more and more time with John, who Gohan had now just remembered was a doctor and scientist; the first thing being his least favorite thing.

_Can't be helped,_ he thought as he went over to the couch,_ She deserves to be happy after all I put her through by taking dad away from her._

Due to the lack of homework, Gohan decided that he would check to see what was on the news for a little bit, since he didn't know what else to do and training wasn't scheduled today.

Just when he grabbed the remote, he heard a voice inside his head.

_**I really don't think you should do that,**_ his other self warned, earning him a sigh.

_There's nothing else to do, and besides, Mom will want me to check the weather for tomorrow,_ Gohan thought with a cringe; his mother had been making him wear more 'normal' clothes to school since she wouldn't let him wear his Gi other than during gym, _and I'm sure everything will be fine anyway._

He turned on the TV, guessing that his other self was just trying to warn him that his mother would be mad since he would be sitting around instead of studying. He waited until the weather was done, seeing that it was going to be sunny all day tomorrow and on Friday, and was about to turn it off when the news suddenly came on.

_**Warned you,**_ his other self mumbled, making Gohan very confused, that is until he saw what was on the news.

The headline read "Car blown up by Flying Kid" and then continued to describe how the car had gotten blown up, but the robbers were caught and the stolen money returned to the bank. The TV then proceeded to show blurred images of him in Super Saiyan.

_Super Saiyan? When did I…?_ He started to think when he realized that he was still transformed. Powering down to base form, he had another thought; _that probably attracted attention to the others._

He sighed as he put his head on his knees.

_**I did warn you,**_ his other self cut in.

_You said I blew up the car,_ Gohan started.

_**And I was right,**_ his other self stopped him, but Gohan had more to say.

_I thought that I blew up the people!_ He exclaimed with a bit of anger. His other self started to laugh.

_**I would have told if that were true. I would have said something like "you blew up the car and the people",**_ his other self said between laughs. Gohan didn't find any bit of it funny.

_You know that if you would have used that as a joke, and if I could find a way, I would have killed you for that,_ Gohan thought with another sigh.

_**I know, that's why I didn't…**_ he didn't hear the rest of his other self's sentence because he heard the door open. He looked back at the TV and saw that the news was still on.

"Gohan…" Chi-Chi started as she walked into the living room with John right behind her, but she stopped when she saw her son scramble to grab the remote and turn off the TV.

Gohan made a noise of surprise and protest as his mother lunged for the remote just as he did; she then proceeded to try and pry it out of his grasp.

"Son Gohan, if you're trying to hide something so desperately, there has to be a reason for it!" his mother yelled as she got a hold of the remote and pressed the rewind button.

Gohan scrambled for his bedroom, but was stopped by his mother's dangerous tone.

"Gohan…" his mother stated warningly from her seat on the couch.

"It was an accident, I swear!" Gohan shouted but then covered his mouth with his hands.

"Gohan, what have I said about swearing?! And why in the world would you want to get on the news?!" his mother yelled angrily from the couch as she got up and started walk towards him.

"I didn't! And there are better ways to get on the news than that," Gohan said, making his mother give him a questioning look.

"Such as?" Chi-Chi asked with a bit of irritation.

"Blowing up a city," he stated with a smile and then realized his mistake when his mother angrily walked towards him.

_Why did I say that?_ He thought with confusion, but then started to get angry when he heard laughing in his head.

_What did you do?!_ He demanded angrily when he heard his other self laughing.

_**Nothing…**_ his other self started but then couldn't continue because he started to laugh again.

Apparently he had an angry look on his face because when he looked up again, his mother pulled out an axe.

"Where did you get that?!" Gohan shouted as he barely dodged her swing at his backside.

"The store! And besides, it's time that tail came off! It's not proper!" his mother shouted as she continued to try and chop off his tail, but she was failing since he kept dodging the swings.

Gohan heard a door in the hallway open and looked over to see his brother and Kid Trunks peeping out at them from behind the door.

"Goten, Trunks, save your tails!" Gohan yelled to them as he barely dodged the next blow his mother threw at him with the axe.

He looked over at them again and heard them talking in almost whispers.

"Do you think we should help him?" Goten asked in a hushed tone, but it was loud enough for Gohan to hear their conversation.

"Why should we? What has he done for us?" Kid Trunks asked in obvious annoyance.

_So much like Vegeta,_ Gohan thought with irritation, knowing that Goten would follow Kid Trunks in whatever he decided.

"And mom might chop off our tails too," Goten whispered and, with one last stare at Gohan, shut the door quickly.

_Typical,_ Gohan thought with a sigh. He then was surprised when he heard the noise of locks coming from behind the door Goten and Kid Trunks had just disappeared behind.

_When did they…? Never mind,_ Gohan guessed, knowing it was useless to try and understand where the three and four year olds had gotten the locks, among other things in their 'den'.

He quickly stole a glance at John, who had remained silent during the whole situation so far. The doctor was just giving him an apologetic look, which made Gohan a bit mad since he didn't know why John would feel sorry for him.

_Why must things be so complicated?_ Gohan thought with irritation as he continued to dodge the swings of the axe, hoping that he would come out alive, even if he lost his tail in the process.

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><p>I figured that I would leave it off there. This chapter was a bit of a comic relief. Now I would like to know what you think will happen next, since Gohan was just broadcasted on the news (even though most people might not know it was him). Sorry for not updating sooner, but July was a very busy month (including <em>AnimeWolfGirl16<em> and my's birthday), as well as visits from friends in another state, vacations, and co-writing The Legend of Spyro: The Secret Mission (while I also must admit to have just found out about the anime "InuYasha" and going on a watching spree). But luckily I'm back, so we will be getting more of Gohan and everyone else now. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and please review!

-AnimeWolfGirl9


	20. Finding Truth

**dp3of5:** Gohan does not seem to like John very much, but he is able to tolerate him. We don't know very much about John yet, but more will be revealed later. And I somewhat agree with you, but we'll have to see what happens between them.

**Chosen-One-92:** Very true! And I was just thinking "why would Chi-Chi have bought a random axe at the store since I believe that cutting off Gohan's tail had not been the first thing on her mind?" :)

**4starfox:** I know! Their tails are so adorable! Sadly I do not understand why Chi-Chi is so opposed to them; I would just love to have one! :)

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><p><span>Chapter 20: Finding Truth<span>

Future Trunks had been walking in one of the empty rooms when he thought he heard a voice. Shrugging it off as his imagination, he looked around the room.

Most of the staff for Capsule Corp. was gone for the day, out getting lunch or doing who-knows-what. Future Trunks shook his head, not wanting to get distracted, when he heard the voice again.

"Trunks, do you have it? Do you remember?" the voice asked, startling Trunks a bit because it sounded a lot like his diseased mentor.

"What?" he mumbled, wondering if he was imagining things. That or it was possible that his mentor could be speaking with King Kai's help, which he knew has been done before.

Suddenly, he felt a Ki from behind him and turned around, glad for once that he wasn't seeing his dead mentor, but instead the Gohan from this timeline.

"Gohan, you kind of startled me. I thought you were my mentor for a second there," Future Trunks said with a laugh. He looked back at the younger version of his mentor and saw him look a bit hurt by that.

"Not that you sounded so much like him, it's just…" Future Trunks started, a bit worried that he had hurt the kid's feelings, but Gohan cut him off with a shake of his head.

"You told them, didn't you," Gohan whispered, making Trunks wonder for a moment what he meant, but then it hit him.

"Gohan, I _had_ to. Everyone's pretty worried about you," Trunks stated softly. Gohan's eyes widened a bit, but then narrowed in silent anger.

"Why does everyone keep saying that?" he heard Gohan mumble. He wasn't sure if Gohan was talking to him or someone else, possibly the voice that he had heard when Gohan had nearly blown up his own house.

_That voice…_ Future Trunks thought, wondering if the voice had been the cause of Gohan's strange behavior lately.

"It's true, Gohan. Can't you see that?" Future Trunks asked, but Gohan shook his head.

"Do you have it, Trunks?" Gohan repeated his question from earlier, making Future Trunks somewhat confused.

"Have what?" he asked, not sure if this situation was making much sense. Gohan seemed to look confused for a moment, almost like he wasn't sure of what he was asking.

"Is that voice making you do this?" Future Trunks asked, but he stopped when Gohan gave him an angry look.

_Wrong question,_ Trunks thought, but then stopped when he felt something start to crawl up his leg. He looked down and saw that there were little dark green vines crawling up his leg.

_What is…?_ Trunks started to wonder, but didn't have time as the vines grew into huge thorn covered ones that brought him up into the air. Before he could make sense of what was going on, he felt his consciousness fade to black.

* * *

><p>"Sorry Trunks, but I <em>need<em> to know," Gohan whispered as he saw Future Trunks lose consciousness.

"So, now what do I do?" he asked out loud, but then realized that he could just talk with his other self in his mind. His other self had apparently heard his question.

_**Find out if he has a Lotus too,**_ his other self stated. Gohan nodded, but then stopped, a confused expression on his face.

_How do I do that?_ Gohan asked, not quite sure of what to do.

_**Um… I'm not really sure. I've never done this before, but I think you will just be able to know,**_ his other self answered, not really clearing things up.

Just as Gohan was about to take a step, he felt a lot of his energy and strength leave him.

_I think I'm going to throw up,_ Gohan thought as he felt a wave of nausea hit him.

_**Oh, that's great,**_ his other self mumbled with a sigh,_** although I do have to give you some credit. The first time I did something like this, I passed out.**_

_Thanks for the encouragement,_ Gohan thought sarcastically when the nausea faded.

He took another step forward until he was standing in front of the mass of vines Trunks was trapped in. He put his one hand and touched the surface of the vine, leaving it there for a few moments.

_**So, do you feel anything?**_ His other self asked. Gohan shook his head.

_No, so what does that mean?_ He wondered, hoping he actually hadn't killed his friend.

_**I guess he isn't like us then,**_ his other self said, making Gohan sigh while removing his hand. He took a few steps back and stared at the vines, and then at Trunks. When he didn't respond for a minute, his other self got curious.

_**What is it?**_ His other self asked. Gohan stared at Trunks before answering.

_How do I erase his memory?_ He asked, hoping Trunks wouldn't remember anything. That would lead to a lot of questions.

_**You don't,**_ his other self stated, making Gohan's eyes widen.

_You mean I can't?_ He asked, hoping that his guess was wrong.

**No, you can't. You just have to hope that he won't remember,** his other self answered, making Gohan uneasy.

He stared at the vines with a sigh.

_So, how do I get rid of the vines?_ Gohan asked, hoping that the dark green plant wouldn't leave a hole in the ground, although he guessed that it already had.

_**You can't,**_ his other self said with a sigh.

_What do you mean?_ He asked, feeling another wave of nausea come with his fear.

_**You can't just 'get rid' of it. Each plant has a specific lifespan, so you'll just have to wait until it dies,**_ his other self said, making him a bit angry.

_Seriously? And you couldn't have told me this before I did everything?_ Gohan asked, angry that his other self hadn't told him sooner.

Before hearing an answer, Gohan started to walk towards the back entrance, where he had come in when he sensed Trunks' Ki.

_**Um… you know that they have video cameras that record everything here,**_ his other self said uncertainly, making him stop.

_You have got to be kidding me,_ Gohan felt like smacking himself at forgetting the simplest thing that Bulma had told him about Capsule Corp.

_**No I'm not,**_ his other self said, obviously not getting what he meant. Gohan sighed and continued to walk out the door.

_Nothing we can do about it,_ he thought as he flew for home, _I guess I'll just have to face the consequences one way or another._

Meanwhile, unknowing to him, something in the bushes moved, leaving as it silently laughed.

* * *

><p>Sorry, this was more of an answer chapter. So, now we know that Future Trunks is not a Lotus host like Gohan. But that still doesn't explain why Gohan could see Trunks' memory. What do you think is going on? And what do you think was watching the whole scene unfold? Also, next chapter you will find out about if Chi-Chi succeeded in chopping off Gohan's tail or not (just in case anyone had been wondering). Either way, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and please review!<p>

-AnimeWolfGirl9


	21. We are More Similar Than I Thought

**dp3of5:** Great idea either way! I am also trying to think of a possibility because Goku is different in some aspects than most Saiyans. I don't think he would hate John though; maybe he would just want an explanation.

**Lotty145:** I know what you mean, and here is your answer.

**4starfox:** Thanks for the review and here is your answer!

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><p><span>Chapter 21: We are More Similar than I Thought<span>

Friday came quickly, and Gohan wasn't even sure how the school day had passed so quickly, nor why he was so excited for Kevin to come over. But underneath all of the excitement was a sense of fear, but he didn't know why.

And that was where Gohan was left to now, walking the long trip home instead of flying.

_I don't really want him to find out my secret, but this is going to be a long trip,_ Gohan thought, glancing over at his friend who was currently walking beside him.

_**Tell me about it,**_ his other self muttered in annoyance.

_You're not the one who's walking though,_ Gohan pointed out, earning an irritated sigh from his other self.

"Um, Gohan, were you listening?" Kevin asked, startling Gohan out of his thoughts.

"Uh… no sorry," Gohan apologized, feeling kind of bad that he was ignoring his friend.

"Talking to voices in your head again?" Kevin joked with a smile. Gohan smiled back.

"Yeah, something like that," he said.

_**It's almost as if he knows I'm here,**_ he heard his other self mumble, but gave no reply.

"Hey, Gohan, is there any other way you know to get to your house," Kevin suddenly stopped and asked him.

Gohan stopped and looked back at his friend, a confused look on his face.

"No, why?" Gohan knew that he was lying, but there was really no other way to get to his house without a whole boatload of questions attached.

Kevin seemed to look conflicted about something for a moment.

"Couldn't we just fly?" Kevin asked after a bit, making Gohan nearly trip in surprise.

"What?" he asked, wondering how Kevin even knew such a thing as flying existed, "How do you…?"

"I kind of saw you fly off one day after school," Kevin answered quickly, "I think that's how you get to your house so quickly."

Gohan sighed as they continued walking.

"Ok, you figured me out. But can you not tell anyone about that?" he asked, really hoping his friend would comply with his wish. Kevin nodded his head.

"Sure. I mean, what would the fun be if everyone knew how to fly?" Kevin said with a smile. Gohan nodded.

_Well, that's a relief. I thought Videl or someone was spying on me that day,_ Gohan thought with a sigh of relief.

_**She was,**_ his other self answered while laughing.

_What? No, but…_ Gohan thought frantically while his other self continued to laugh; _did she see me fly?_

_** No, but she was close to,**_ his other self said before erupting into laughter once again.

Gohan sighed, not really sure how to handle that bit of news.

"Hey, Gohan, are you ok?" Kevin asked, "You seem a little bit down."

"Just learned out Videl has been spying on me," Gohan muttered, not really sure what he was going to do about that.

"Oh yeah, I probably should have told you sooner," then Kevin started to smile, "she said something about 'figuring you out' or something like that."

Gohan stared at his friend with an amused expression on his face.

"What do you mean 'figure' me out? There's nothing interesting about me," he stated. Kevin just gave him an obvious look.

"Seriously? There is nothing interesting about you, but you can fly," Kevin pointed out, making him laugh.

"Ok, point taken," Gohan stated, but then he wondered something, "Kevin, do you even know how to fly?"

Kevin looked like he started to think about something, but then he answered.

"Oh, no, I don't. How would I even know?" Kevin asked him, making Gohan wish that his friend knew how to fly.

_This is going to take forever,_ Gohan thought with a sigh.

_**I wouldn't be so sure. Kevin does seem a bit out of the ordinary. Maybe he can pick it up quickly,**_ his other self replied, making Gohan want to smack him, _**or at least, that's what I hope.**_

_You and me both,_ he thought before turning his attention back to Kevin.

"Ok Kevin, I am going to need to start at the beginning," he stated, "there is something in this world called Ki. Ki is sort of like hidden energy inside of your body. We are going to need to help you control your Ki before you can fly."

Gohan looked over at Kevin, seeing that his friend looked a bit bored.

"So all you are saying is that I need to do this," Kevin stated while randomly forming a small Ki blast in his hand before letting it burn out, "and then I can learn how to fly."

Gohan stared at his friend in shock.

_Ok… now I am officially creeped out,_ Gohan thought. His other self was laughing in his mind, _what now?_

_**It's just so funny! Trying replaying that in your head a million times and not laugh!**_ His other self said, showing Gohan what he meant, which then made it hard not to laugh at his friend.

"Yep that's it," Gohan said, smiling while trying not to laugh. Kevin started smiling.

"I bet that kind of looked weird to you, right?" Kevin asked as he started to laugh.

"Yep, completely kind of creeped me out," Gohan said with a smile, not wanting to lie in case he started to laugh too.

"That's just because my dad taught me a few things," Kevin said, making Gohan wonder who his friend's dad was.

But Gohan apparently wasn't going to find out anytime soon since Kevin stopped talking about it soon after.

"So, how do I fly?" Kevin asked, seeming a bit more excited.

"All you have to do is concentrate that Ki underneath of you to form pockets of air in the oxygen," Gohan said, wanting to laugh at how enthusiastic his friend was.

"Ok," Kevin said, waiting for a moment, "like this?"

Gohan looked at his friend to see that he was flying, a bit shaky, but still flying nonetheless.

"Yeah, just like that," Gohan said as he smiled; now lifting a few feet off the ground.

"I wish I would have known it was that easy," Kevin muttered, making Gohan wonder if he was even supposed to hear that. He shrugged it off and they started flying.

_**Congratulations, you are now one step closer to becoming a scholar!**_ His other self said in a happy voice.

_What do you mean by that?_ He asked, feeling as if he were being left out of a secret.

_**You're now a teacher, and you need to be a teacher before becoming a scholar,**_ his other self stated, making Gohan even more confused.

_Are you even sure?_ He asked.

_**No, since there weren't scholars where I came from, but that's just a guess,**_ his other self stated.

Gohan wanted to laugh, but instead he focused on showing Kevin how to get to his house, that and making sure his friend suddenly didn't plummet down to the ground.

They soon got to his house, but Gohan made them lower down to the ground before they got there.

"I just want to warn you, you might not want to fly around my mom or else she might think I turned you into a freak or something," Gohan stated, making Kevin and him laugh at the picture.

They both walked into the house, and Gohan was glad to see that John wasn't here at the moment.

Instead, he could sense his mom in the kitchen, but he couldn't sense Goten.

_That's weird, Mom didn't say that Goten was going to Trunks' today,_ Gohan thought, but he quickly felt a Ki level surface behind him.

Before he could do anything, he felt something run into him and knock him to the ground. He turned around and found Goten getting up from behind him.

"Yay, Gohan, you're home!" Goten shouted, making Gohan laugh at his sibling's personality.

"Yep, and this is…" Gohan started while he turned to Kevin, but Goten jumped in front of Kevin before he could finish.

"Hi! I heard a lot about you from Gohan! I'm Goten! We live in this small house and mom rarely lets me have sweets and my best friend is Trunks and…" Goten blurted out all at once while jumping up and down in front of his friend.

Gohan and Kevin both started laughing while Gohan picked Goten up by his shirt while walking into the kitchen.

"Mom, did you give him sweets?!" Gohan shouted as his brother continued to ramble on and Kevin followed him into the kitchen.

"No, I don't think so…" his mom answered before turning around and seeing the situation.

"And I found these berries in the forest…" Goten continued to ramble before seeing Chi-Chi turn around, slipping out of Gohan's reach and starting to pull Kevin into his room, "Come on, I'll show you Trunks and my's base!"

"Ok," Kevin said as he let himself be pulled. Gohan just followed behind while laughing.

Goten made them both cover their eyes before leading them into his room.

"Ok, you can look now," Goten said.

Gohan opened his eyes and saw boxes of sweets in his brother's bedroom, some of them already open.

"Goten, where in the world did you get all of that?" Gohan asked, now understanding why his brother was so hyper.

"Trunks," Goten said before sitting on the ground, "do you want some?"

"Uh no thanks," Kevin said as he started to back away, looking at Goten opening one of the boxes and putting a small chocolate donut in his mouth.

"We are going to go to my room now Goten," Gohan said while quickly pulling his friend out of the room and to his, knowing the terror that was going to strike soon.

"Can I come?" Goten asked, coming out of the room with the box.

"No, you can't," Gohan said quickly while closing the door before his brother could get in.

"Mom, Gohan won't let me in his room!" Gohan heard Goten yell, making him sigh.

"Gohan, let your brother into your room!" Chi-Chi yelled from the kitchen.

Gohan stuck his head out the door.

"We're going to study!" Gohan shouted back, quickly shutting the door when he realized that his brother was running around like the Tasmanian devil.

Gohan locked the door and turned around, sitting on the floor.

"Welcome to my house," Gohan stated before both him and Kevin started to laugh.

When they stopped laughing, they proceeded to try and study, but kept getting sidetracked and couldn't concentrate.

"I don't think this is going to work," Kevin said while staring up from his book.

"I know what you mean. We can study later," Gohan stated, picking up his book, but then he knew better even before he heard the voice from the hallway.

"Gohan, you said you were going to study, so you should do as you said!" his mother's voice yelled from the kitchen.

"Rule number one: nothing ever escapes my mother," Gohan said as he shook his head, earning a laugh from Kevin.

Gohan turned around and reached into his backpack, looking for the paper and pencils he brought home so they could try some practice. Just when Gohan pulled the stuff out of his backpack, he heard, and felt, like something was on fire.

"Kevin, do you smell something burning?" he asked, trying to ignore the pain stretching through his tail.

"I see something burning," Kevin said, making Gohan jerk around and see his Biology book as well as his tail on fire.

"Kevin, what happened?" Gohan shouted as he tried to put out the fire that was on his tail.

"I got bored and wondered what would happen if I fired a Ki blast at your Biology book," Kevin stated, acting as if nothing was wrong.

Gohan finally put out the fire on his tail and now realized that the one on his book would soon spread to the whole house.

"Kevin, help me put it out!" Gohan shouted, wondering why Kevin was still sitting in the same place.

"I don't know where water, or your bathroom, is," Kevin stated, still sitting in the same spot.

_**Just do it,**_ his other self stated when an idea hit his mind. He brought the vines up from underneath the house and enclosed them in the fire, blocking off its oxygen supply.

Letting out a breath he didn't know he was holding, both Gohan and Kevin peered at Gohan's burnt beyond use Biology book.

"I am so dead," Gohan muttered as he stared as his burnt book.

"Don't worry, I can get you a new one," Kevin stated, as if he hadn't just ruined a fifty dollar book.

"Who is your dad, the principal?" Gohan joked as he threw the book into the trashcan. Studying was definitely out of the option now.

"No, not even close," Kevin stated as he laughed, but then his friend became silent.

He saw Kevin looking around the room and both of their attentions turned to the pictures on the desk. Gohan had decided to put them on top of the desk for the time being since he had been scared that they would break inside of the desk.

"Is that your dad?" Kevin asked, pointing to the one picture of when he had been younger.

"Yeah," Gohan said, averting his eyes to the floor. Kevin looked at him.

"Where is he? I remember seeing him, but…" his friend asked, making Gohan feel a mix of emotions again.

"He died from Cell," Gohan whispered, barely able to even get that out. Gohan realized that his friend must have realized his mistake since he felt regret going through Kevin's Ki.

He heard Kevin sigh.

"If it makes you feel any better, my father died during the same time," Kevin stated softly, making Gohan look up in surprise.

"What?" Gohan asked in surprise.

"Yeah, same time," Kevin said, a sigh emitting from his friend.

"How? From Cell?" Gohan asked, but realized he was probably being rude.

"Not exactly. He was killed by someone else," Kevin stated, and Gohan saw pain register in his friend's eyes.

"I'm sorry. If anything, I shouldn't have asked," Gohan whispered, feeling somewhat sad himself.

"No. It's ok. I personally don't mind. I didn't really know my father for long, and he wasn't to be considered the nicest person in the world," Kevin stated, making Gohan have many questions in his head, ones he wouldn't voice. But one stood out between all of them.

_I guess we are more alike than I thought._

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><p>I guess that I'll end the chapter off there. I was just thinking; do what Gohan's other self told him to imagine a million times and try not laughing (I tried and completely failed). Also, is it just me, or does Kevin act a lot like Marie? I mean, Kevin blows up Gohan's Biology book (sort of like Marie pushing Gohan down a hill). Either way, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and please review!<p>

-AnimeWolfGirl9


	22. I Thought You Said He Was Dead

**4starfox**: Yeah, I was somewhat relieved too since I didn't know if I was going to have him keep it or not. Either way, thanks for the review!

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><p><span>Chapter 22: I Thought You Said He Was Dead<span>

Gohan's sleep was interrupted by outside forces when he felt someone shaking him. He thought about ignoring the shaking until he heard a voice speaking to him.

"Gohan, wake up!" the voice said in an urgent whisper.

_Now who could that be?_ Gohan wondered. He thought the voice sounded familiar but…

_**Wow, you are denser than I thought. Just wake up,**_ his other self stated in an amused voice.

Taking his other self's advice, he opened his eyes and was surprised to see Kevin was the one who was shaking him.

"Kevin? Why are you in my room?" Gohan asked, feeling like he was forgetting something.

"I slept over, remember?" Kevin said in an urgent whisper.

Gohan was about to say something when he wondered why Kevin was acting strange. He took a good look at his friend to see that something was obviously wrong.

Kevin was strangely pale, and his whole body was shaking almost like he had seen a ghost.

"Kevin, is everything ok?" Gohan asked, feeling somewhat worried for his friend.

When Kevin still didn't answer, Gohan started to think that his friend was in a daze or something.

"What, did you see a ghost or something?" Gohan asked, partially joking.

Kevin looked over at him with a worried look.

"Something like that," Kevin muttered, making Gohan confused.

"But there aren't any ghosts here…" he started to say, but stopped when Kevin shook his head.

"Not like that," Kevin answered and looked like he was going to say more, but suddenly a strange but familiar Ki spiked up in Gohan's head.

"What…?" Gohan started to say, but he stopped when he saw that Kevin went over to his bedroom window and opened it, "Kevin, where are you going?"

"Come on. We just need to get out of here," Kevin stated nervously while climbing through the window.

"Wait!" Gohan exclaimed as Kevin floated down to the ground, "what about my mom and brother?"

"Don't worry. He won't come here if I'm not here," Kevin stated as he waited for Gohan to follow him.

Kevin then started to run; Gohan soon followed realizing that the strange Ki was getting closer.

He saw Kevin bolt into the forest before following, wondering how Kevin could have sensed the Ki in the first place.

"Who are you running from?" Gohan shouted as they continued running, wondering what was scaring his friend so much.

_**If I didn't know what it was, I would have laughed if it was a bunny,**_ his other self stated.

_Not funny,_ Gohan answered back, _so what is it that's chasing us?_

_**If I told you, then it wouldn't be any fun,**_ His other self said, but Gohan could tell that his other self was also on edge about this.

"You know how I told you about my dad?" Kevin stated suddenly, breaking off the conversation with his other self.

"Yeah, what about it?" Gohan asked, having a strange feeling about what Kevin was going to say next.

"Well, it's him!" Kevin yelled back, making Gohan nearly trip at his surprise.

"Your _dad_ is chasing us! I thought you said he was dead!" Gohan shouted, feeling a bit of fear when the Ki came closer, but then it darted away.

Shortly after, Gohan felt several more Kis appearing.

"He is, but I guess his ghost is chasing us. Either that, or something resurrected him with the Dragon Balls!" Kevin shouted, making Gohan surprised again. Kevin's eyes widened at what he had just said, "Never mind! I shouldn't have said that!"

"How do you know so much?" Gohan asked, but didn't hear Kevin's answer because he suddenly felt something speed into him, sending him flying.

When Gohan hit the forest floor, he saw Kevin appear from the trees, as well as the Kis that had been chasing them suddenly disappear.

"Gohan, you ok?" Kevin asked with worry as he came closer. Gohan noticed that his friend was also standing away from him a bit, as well as fear and confusion coming from his friend's Ki.

"Um, yeah I think so," Gohan said as he stood up, trying to ignore the ringing in his head. He blinked a few times, wondering if his vision was going wrong; he kept seeing Kevin and then a smaller blurred purple figure.

_What is going on? I must have hit my head pretty hard,_ Gohan thought as he closed his eyes and then looked at Kevin again, seeing with relief that the second image was gone.

"They disappeared," he said as he looked around, but then stopped when he felt Kevin's Ki change a bit. He looked back at his friend, who was currently staring at the ground in confusion.

_**So that's how he knew…**_ his other self stated, making Gohan feel very confused.

_Knew what?_ He asked as he stared at his friend.

_**Knew that I was talking to you, among other things. The one who had heard me first was telling him,**_ his other self stated.

_What do you…? _Gohan started to ask, but stopped when he saw that Kevin was looking at him with an unreadable expression in his eyes.

"Kevin, are you ok?" Gohan asked, starting to worry when he felt his friend's Ki start to shift again. He saw Kevin take a deep breath.

"If you can keep this a secret, then I won't kill you," Kevin stated coldly, suddenly sending fear and confusion through Gohan.

_What is going on?_ He wondered as he stared at what he thought was his friend.

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><p>Sorry, I know that this is shorter than most of my chapters, but I couldn't help ending off there. I will try and get the next chapter out as soon as I can, but I can't make any promises that it could be this month (if not, then it will definitely be next month). Either way, who do you think Kevin's dad is? And why do you think Kevin is acting so strange? Please tell me what you think in a review and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!<p>

-AnimeWolfGirl9


	23. Resurfaced Pain

**Goku Rules 98:** Thanks! Here's the next chapter!

**AnimeWolfGirl16:** Thanks for the review! And the answer will be revealed in this chapter.

**gohanFanfics:** Haha I know. Here's the answer! :)

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><p><span>Chapter 23: Resurfaced Pain<span>

"Kevin, what is going on?" Gohan asked his friend, who was by now standing in a defense position a few feet away from him, "What do you mean by 'kill' me?"

Kevin looked over at him, a strange look in his eyes.

"Can you seriously not understand what I just told you?" Kevin asked with a sigh, "I said that if you can't keep this a secret, then I would kill you."

Gohan knew he understood that much, but he didn't understand what his friend meant.

"What do you want me to keep a secret?" he asked, feeling lost, "The sleepover? If so, I wasn't planning on telling anyone."

Kevin gave him a defeated look and sighed, sitting down on the ground.

"I don't really know how to explain everything to you," Kevin said, but then he looked at Gohan, "did anyone ever tell you how naïve you are?"

Gohan let air blow out of his nose and sat down across from his friend.

"I think a few people have mentioned it, mainly bad guys though," Gohan answered, wanting to somewhat laugh at how quickly the conversation turned from one thing to another.

"Yeah, I think they're right, at least sometimes," Kevin stated, but then looked around quickly. Gohan was starting to guess that his friend was trying to delay something for as long as possible.

"Why did you say you were going to kill me again?" Gohan asked, even though he knew that his friend didn't want to talk about it. Kevin shifted uncomfortably where he was sitting.

"Like I said, it's hard to explain…" his friend answered and then sighed, "let's say it's more like an order."

"To kill me?" Gohan asked and he got a nod from Kevin, "Who told you to kill me?"

Kevin seemed to be hesitant to answer at first, almost as if he was trying to find an excuse, but he finally answered.

"My dad," Kevin stated, making Gohan flinch. It seemed like Kevin's dad hated him more than he had first thought.

"And why does your dad want me dead?" Gohan asked, feeling as if something was missing, almost like a puzzle piece.

"Because of who he is," Kevin started to say, but then he stopped and stood up.

"What? Are they coming back?" Gohan asked as he stood up, sensing for Ki levels but finding none. Kevin shook his head.

"No, but I think I know how to explain everything to you," his friend answered, making Gohan feel a bit hopeful that Kevin was acting more like himself.

"Great then," Gohan stated, smiling, but his friend didn't look so sure.

"Ok, but you have to promise not to kill me when I first show you," Kevin stated, making him confused.

"Kill you? Why would I kill you?" Gohan asked, feeling somewhat puzzled.

"You'll see," Kevin muttered before a purple glow started to envelop his friend.

The purple light then got brighter until it was pure white, making Gohan have to look away. When the light dimmed a bit, Gohan looked back at Kevin to see his friend start to shrink and change, the shape making alarm bells go off in his head.

_Where have I seen that before?_ He wondered; _it looks so familiar._

_**Think about it!**_ His other self commanded, _**when was the last time you saw that?**_

_And I suppose you know?_ Gohan questioned, still not able to connect the dots.

_**Well, sort of…**_ his other self answered hesitantly.

_Why can't you tell me?_ Gohan asked, but didn't have time to receive an answer when everything fell into place, _No it's not possible that Kevin's a…_

Suddenly the light faded, confirming Gohan's fears. Standing in front of him was a small purple figure; a small purple Cell Jr.

As Gohan stared at his friend, not making a move, his mind brought him back to something he hadn't thought quite that well about.

_Back at the Cell Game, when I was fighting the Cell Jrs, I saw something,_ he thought;_ something like a purple blur move away from my vision. But I never thought that it could have been…_

He didn't finish his thought, feeling suddenly overwhelmed.

"So when you said someone killed your siblings and father, you meant it was me?" Gohan whispered as he sat down, feeling all the strength leave his body.

He saw Kevin's eyes widen.

"Yes, but like I said, it didn't really bother me," Kevin stated, surprising Gohan that he wasn't making those weird noises like the other Cell Jrs. To him, Kevin still sounded as if he was human.

"Yes, but…" Gohan started before his eyes widened in realization, "Wait, that means your dad is…!"

"Me?" a strangely familiar voice said from behind him, making him turn around as his blood started to boil.

* * *

><p>First of all, I would just like to announce that this is the one year anniversary of "I Need You" (meaning that I started this fanfiction on this date a year ago, and if you don't believe me, I looked it up, you can too)! Yay, we have made it a year and we now have 23 chapters (I was kind of hoping that I would be further along, but we will be in the next few months)! I'm sorry that this wasn't very long, but I wanted to leave the anniversary with a cliffhanger (not with something overly sad). Also, I would like to recommend that you read my other Dragon Ball Z fanfiction "Haunting Past" because it is the prequel to this fanfiction (but you might not be able to see why for a while now). Either way, please review and I thank you for all of the readers reviewers that have helped me make it this far! Also, Happy Thanksgiving (just in case I don't get another chapter for this fanfiction out)!

-AnimeWolfGirl9


	24. Uncontrolled Emotions

**Seraphinit:** Yeah, I know.

**DarkFoxKit:** Thanks, and wow you are fast at reading! I'm glad you're caught up and enjoyed it! Here's the next chapter! :)

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><p><span>Chapter 24: Uncontrolled Emotions<span>

"Cell, what are you doing here?!" Gohan demanded angrily, already feeling his Ki start to spike.

_And the more important question is: how is he here?_ Gohan thought as he stared at the green bug-like android.

_**Don't ask me. I don't know this one,**_ his other self stated, but what Gohan felt slightly confused about was why he sounded calm, unlike himself at the moment.

"Isn't that easy to see? I'm here to see that my demand was to be fulfilled," the green android then glance behind Gohan at Kevin, who now looked extremely worried.

"Leave him alone," Gohan stated darkly, glaring at the creature that had brought him so much pain.

_And put a weird voice in my head,_ Gohan thought with some amusement.

_**We've been over this,**_ his other self stated with slight annoyance, making him want to laugh.

"It's not him I am after," Cell stated, moving his gaze back to Gohan, "I simply wanted to see if he could redeem himself."

"He has already redeemed himself," Gohan stated as he stared at his friend, feeling sorry for him. Cell then looked at him with amusement; the same kind he had during the Cell Game.

"Oh then," Cell stated with amusement in his voice, "then please, enlighten me on how he has redeemed himself."

Gohan felt his Ki spike again, somewhat worrying that if he didn't get it under control soon, he would lose it and alert the others.

_Something we don't need,_ he thought, trying to breathe evenly through his nose.

"Isn't it obvious?" Gohan asked, "He's redeemed himself by separating from you."

Cell seemed to look a bit angered at that statement, but his demeanor soon calmed again.

"Well, I don't think that was a very good choice," Cell said, looking again at Kevin, "You are running out of time."

"I don't care," Kevin mumbled, reverting back to his human state, "it has never mattered how long I could be here; I just came to help him."

Gohan now felt as if he were listening to a half-conversation on the phone, not understanding what they were talking about.

"Kevin, what does he mean when he says you are 'running out of time'?" Gohan questioned, hoping to be able to understand a bit more. Kevin glanced at him.

"You mean you don't remember?" Kevin asked him, looking somewhat worried.

"Remember what?" Gohan asked, feeling confused, "I only met you a few months ago."

Kevin closed his eyes for a moment; uncertainty coursing from his Ki.

_I can't tell him, can I?_ Gohan suddenly heard Kevin's voice in his head, making him want to freak out.

_**No, you can't,**_ his other self answered, making his eyes widen.

_Is my mind an open book or something?!_ Gohan wanted to scream, feeling very strange since he was now hearing more than one voice in his head.

_Why, it would make things so much easier,_ Kevin's voice asked again.

_**You just can't,**_ his other self answered with a bit of agitation.

Gohan then felt his head start to ache. He looked back at his friend, whose eyes were now open and had a defeated look on his face.

"So, you don't remember," Cell mused, making Gohan want to scream again.

_Why won't anyone tell me anything?!_ He felt like a little kid again, always being kept from secrets. He was about to ask his other self a question when he looked at Cell. The android looked almost different, his skin color nearly translucent.

_Why is he like that?_ Gohan wondered, then glancing at the other Cell Jrs. around them, _they're the same way._

Kevin must have noticed too since he was looking between the androids as well.

"You're not fully back," Kevin said as he stared at the clear colored android with wide eyes.

"Well, of course not. Not yet," Cell said with a slight smirk, "but we all have deals now, don't we?"

_**Deals?**_ His other self thought for a moment, _**what kind of deals could they possibly have?**_

_No idea,_ Gohan thought, _I'm just as clueless as you are._

Cell suddenly seemed irked at something; his face twisting into one of annoyance.

"It seems as if we are both running out of time," Cell said and Gohan was surprised to see his form shimmer a bit, "all of our times."

"Cell, what _is_ going on?" Gohan asked, feeling all of his energy run out. He could tell it was more than this confusing talk that was making him so weak.

Cell looked at him for a moment, calculating something with his eyes.

"So, you still have a bit left to do," Cell said almost to himself. He then looked over at Kevin.

"Time to go," Cell stated while staring at his distraught friend, "I was told to come retrieve you."

Gohan opened his mouth to say something, but then Cell and the other androids' forms turned into thick mist, clouding his vision.

"Kevin!" Gohan called, feeling afraid when he couldn't sense his friend's Ki.

_Where did he go? Did Cell take him?_ Gohan thought frantically as he remembered Cell's words about "retrieving" his friend.

Strangely, this time his other self was silent.

Gohan coughed a bit when he breathed too deeply and continued to search through the mist. He came to the place where Kevin had been standing, not quite believing what he saw.

Looking down at where Kevin had been, Gohan saw a wilted blue flower. Picking it up, he felt his confusion rise.

_What happened?_ He thought, hating how silent his mind seemed now.

_**His time ran out, simple as that, **_his other self said, making him somewhat mad. His anger then turned to sadness as realization dawned on him.

_He's not coming back, is he?_ Gohan asked, feeling somehow alone. He never got an answer as the night grew silent.

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><p>First of all, I know that I haven't updated since the anniversary. I am really sorry, but life got busy and I didn't want to leave you with a sad chapter for Christmas (that is if you didn't like Kevin, then you are probably happy). I am going to try and get the next chapter up soon, but I would really like to know what you thought. Also, I am probably not going to be able to update monthly anymore since life is getting too busy. I am going to try and update as often as I can (and I can promise you that you will have a chapter at least every once in a while). Please don't let this discourage you from following this (I really am trying my best, and I promise that it will be worth the wait). Either way, Kevin seemed to know a lot more than he was letting on (and he was talking in Gohan's head; somewhat creepy?). Why do you think that is? Plus, we are almost at 50 reviews; do you think we can get there? Please tell me your comments and suggestions in a review!<p>

-AnimeWolfGirl9


	25. Times to Ponder

**AnimeWolfGirl16:** Yes, I am hopefully going to be able to explain more in these later chapters; I just don't want to give everything away since I have a lot planned.

**Seraphinit: **Yeah, sorry it has been so confusing. I am going to try and reveal some more about this in the next few chapters. (Hint: "Haunting Past" is the prequel to this fanfiction, although it isn't complete yet for some reasons regarding this fanfiction; hopefully that might help some)

**person345 (Guest):** Thanks for the review! And congrats on being the 50th reviewer! :)

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><p>Chapter 25: Times to Ponder<p>

Gohan eventually walked back to the house, leaving behind the strange flower and where he had last seen Kevin. One question had continued to echo in his mind: What happened? But everything was silent, giving him no answer.

Exhausted, he had stumbled through the open window and into his room, standing there for a few moments before going to sit down on his bed. He thought about going to sleep, but knew that it wouldn't come unless his mind stopped racing.

Sighing, he glanced down at where Kevin's belongings were, but then stopped when he didn't see anything except the Biology book they had been using earlier since his had gotten burnt.

Bending down, he picked it up and looked around again, wondering where everything else could have gone.

"Things just keep getting weirder," he whispered while he stared down at the book, feeling sadness fill him.

Gohan knew he should be used to weird things happening in his life, but for some odd reason, he wasn't.

_My whole life practically screams strange,_ he thought, wondering why he wasn't used to things like this happening by now.

Gohan sighed, putting the book on his bed and closed his eyes. He opened them again when he heard a fluttering noise.

A piece of paper was slowly falling to the floor, apparently being the source of the noise. As the paper hit the floor, Gohan continued to stare at it, wondering where it could have come from.

Glancing over at the Biology book, he realized that the front cover was now open. His head tilted to the side in confusion as he looked at it. His eyes widened when he saw that where Kevin's name should have been in the book, his was there instead, written in sharpie.

He glanced at the book and then down at the piece of paper, picking it up a moment later. He flipped it over and realized there was writing on it. Taking a closer look, he recognized Kevin's hand writing, even though it was a bit sloppy.

_Maybe it's the notes from studying earlier?_ Gohan questioned, hoping for an answer from his other self, but was disappointed when he didn't get one.

He was about to put the paper back in the book and forget about it when he saw two words that made him stop: _Dear Gohan_.

Confusion spread through him as he tried to come up with some possibility of why his friend had been writing a letter to him. Coming up with nothing, Gohan sighed as his eyes scanned over the page, reading the rest of the jumbled letter:

_Dear Gohan,_

_ I know my time is running out. I wish I had more to help you, but I don't think she can spare any more. Cell will be coming to get me soon, and I regret not being able to have helped you any more than I have. When she told me that you were going to help him, I knew I had to come with you both. You had all helped me so much that I wanted to repay you somehow. She said for me to tell you that she will be coming soon, but she is waiting for the right time to do so. Although she said you should already know all of this since our last meeting, I just wanted to make sure you didn't forget. I am going to have to leave soon, but-_

Gohan scanned the words on the page, seeing that it ended before his friend could finish it.

"That must have been what he had been doing when he woke me up," Gohan whispered, still not finding any sense in this. His eyes scanned over the page again and realized that Kevin mentioned a "she", but that no name was ever referenced.

_Apparently a lot of people must know her, or about this at least,_ he thought, hoping for some kind of answer, but still not getting anything.

_Why are you so silent?_ He asked, still getting nothing.

He sighed, not wanting to make the night more complicated, and reluctantly fell asleep.

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><p>Usually, a bell ringing was considered for celebration, something that meant happiness. For Gohan, he felt nothing of the sort as he sat outside at a gazebo, staring at the wooden floor.<p>

He figured that everyone else was inside the church, celebrating and eating, his mother and John included.

He didn't have much of an appetite; he was currently trying his best to get the memory of the wedding out of his head.

His mother and John had both said their vows to each other, and Gohan had tried to ignore the overwhelming sadness he had felt during the wedding. He had to look away at the last moment, and his gaze had fallen to his three year old brother.

Goten had come into his room the night before the wedding and sat on his bed, an unreadable expression on his face. He had looked as if he wanted to say something, but didn't quite know how to say it.

"Something wrong, Goten?" he had asked after his brother had sat like that for at least ten minutes.

Goten had shaken his head and stared down at the bed beneath him.

"What do you think of John?" Goten asked suddenly, startling him a bit. He hadn't been prepared for the somewhat mature question.

"What do you mean?" he asked, and Goten fell silent for a bit, his gaze shifting to the floor.

He had felt stumped, not sure of what his brother wanted. Gohan had his own opinions about the man his mother was going to marry, but he would never repeat them to Goten for fear of him telling them to Chi-Chi on accident.

"What do you think of him?" Goten repeated, and Gohan sighed, knowing that his brother didn't know how to phrase the question to a more direct one.

"Are you worried, Goten?" he asked, realizing that he was right when his brother nodded shyly. His gaze softened, and he wondered if his little brother was having similar thoughts to his.

"You don't need to be worried," he said as he scooted towards his brother on the bed, "Everything's going to be fine. Nothing's going to change much."

His own thoughts had been telling him he was wrong, but he didn't want his brother to know that.

Goten had nodded, a big smile coming onto his face a moment later.

"We're finally going to have a Daddy, right?" his brother asked naively.

The sentence made Gohan's breathing stop a bit, and sadness had entered him. He nodded slowly, his gaze drifting towards the floor.

Goten's small arms had wrapped around him in a hug, and he said a cute "Goodnight" a moment later.

Goten had looked up at him with a bit smile during the wedding, and he had briefly wondered if his brother actually understood any of what was being said.

As soon as he could, Gohan had slipped outside for some peace, not quite sure where his emotions were going yet.

He felt somewhat happy for his mother- she deserved to be happy after what he had taken away from her- but sadness had also invaded.

_How can everyone just move on so quickly?_ He wondered, feeling like he was the only one missing his father.

He felt Piccolo's presence somewhere away from the celebration, and he knew his mentor had skipped out on the event, most likely not understanding the Earth custom so much.

Normally, Gohan would have gone to his mentor for some mutual understanding, but he figured their friendship wasn't in the best condition right now.

_I kind of did shut him out,_ he thought with some regret, thinking for a moment about reopening the link.

He shook his head, not wanting his thoughts to be invaded at that moment.

He briefly thought about flying someplace more pleasant, but knew that his mother would have a fit if he did. Some part of him didn't care, but he didn't want to cause any more trouble.

_I've already caused too much,_ he thought, wondering when he could go home.

His mother was probably too busy with the celebration to even notice he had left.

Footsteps sounded from behind him, and he glanced behind him, seeing Future Trunks. His friend came to sit beside him, and Gohan felt confusion enter him.

"You alright?" Future Trunks asked him after a moment.

"I guess so," he answered, not really knowing what to say.

He heard Future Trunks let a breath out, and he sensed worry from his friend's Ki.

"I know things have been changing rapidly, and that it can be hard, but you can talk to me if you need to, alright?" his friend's statement made him nod.

"I just don't know how to deal with this very well," Gohan answered after a while, staring at the floor.

"I wish I could help," Future Trunks stated with a sigh, "but I'm not much of an expert in this sort of thing."

Gohan smiled a bit, knowing his friend was trying to make him feel better.

Silence enveloped them for a while, and Gohan was somewhat grateful for it; it gave him a chance to sort out his thoughts.

"Goten was worried," he said, staring up at the sky.

"About what?" Future Trunks asked, and Gohan shook his head.

"About the wedding I guess," he answered, "Sometimes I can't tell what goes through his head."

"Some people are like that sometimes," his friend stated, and Gohan briefly wondered if Trunks remembered what had happened at Capsule Corp.

He figured he wouldn't bring it up, in case he didn't remember; that would just cause more problems.

They spent the rest of the day talking, and they finally went home when the sun had started to set.

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><p>First of all, I'm really, really sorry for not updating in a long while! Life got really busy and then I started another fanfiction which has a time limit on it (it's for a game coming out called "The Last of Us" so be sure to check it out if you like that sort of thing). This chapter was going to be a bit longer, but I wanted to get it out since I hadn't updated in a while. I promise that the next chapter will be out soon!<p>

Please tell me what you thought and any ideas in a review!

-AnimeWolfGirl9


	26. Kenny

**KaosMoshpit:** Haha, wow a lot of people seem to dislike him. John's important for a few reasons (if there wasn't a reason, then I wouldn't have added him in the first place).

**iHeartGohan: **I'm glad to hear you like it! And I laughed while writing that part as well :)

**Emma (Guest):** Thanks! Here's the next chapter!

* * *

><p>Chapter 26: Kenny<p>

Gohan sighed as he fell onto his bed, feeling somewhat sad and frustrated.

The weekend had ended, and that had meant that he had to go back to school. The problem was that Kevin was no longer going to the school, and Gohan was the last person to see him.

That had started rumors, and he knew that everyone was curious. The issue had been put off all week; that was, until Videl had confronted him at the end of school on Friday.

"Gohan, do you know where Kevin is?" Videl interrogated him in the hallway after everyone had left.

He hadn't paid much attention to Hercule's daughter over the past few weeks; he guessed they could be considered mutual friends, but that was only because of Kevin.

The question made him silent, and he continued to pack up for the day, ignoring her question. He had just pulled his backpack out of his locker when Videl slammed the door shut, making him surprised.

One look at her face and he knew he wouldn't get away without answering. He was determined to stay silent on the matter for as long as he could though; sadness still filled him at the thought of his now-lost friend.

"You're the last person who's seen him Gohan," Videl continued, and he could feel his patience starting to run out, "Everyone's starting to get worried and-"

Gohan whipped around to face her, feeling his anger spike a bit.

"What are you assuming? That I hurt him or something?" he questioned, feeling his anger die down a bit at the concerned look on her face.

"No, it's just that he's my friend too," Videl's statement made sense to him; of course she was concerned about Kevin since they were all friends.

"I know. I'm sorry," he whispered, leaning his head against the locker door, "I don't know. He just left."

Videl paused for a moment, taking in the information.

"No note or anything?" she prodded, this time a bit less harshly. Gohan shook his head.

"Nothing telling about where he was going," he answered, sighing when he felt exhausted.

_I won't tell her about the note he left me since it's not much help. I barely understand it myself,_ he thought as he closed his eyes.

Videl was silent for a while, and he started to think that she was done talking to him.

"If you find out anything else, can you let us know?" she asked, and he nodded, starting to walk away.

He stopped, his back to her.

"I don't think he's coming back," he stated, hearing her footsteps as she left a moment later.

Gohan stared up at his bedroom ceiling, not sure if he had done the right thing.

_**Hopefully she won't question you anymore,**_ his other self's voice in his head was both a comfort and a nuisance.

_Nice to see you too,_ he answered sarcastically,_ why did you go all silent on me?_

He heard his other self sigh, the same emotions he was feeling being reflected in it.

_**I needed some time to sort out my thoughts,**_ his other self said after a while, making him somewhat angry.

_And leave me to my somewhat confused, dysfunctional ones?_ He questioned, not feeling any patience.

_**Sorry, but you aren't the only one affected by this,**_ his other self stated, making him somewhat confused.

_'Not the only one affected?' Kevin was my friend, not yours,_ he retorted, feeling somewhat annoyed.

_**That's not entirely true,**_ he heard his other self mumble; _**I knew him as Kenny.**_

_Kenny?_ The name for some reason sounded familiar to him, but he didn't remember knowing anyone with that name.

_**Yeah, it's… a long story. Let's just say that I knew him from where I came from,**_ his other self's words brought a startling realization.

_Does that mean that Kevin, or Kenny as you call him, actually came from hundreds of years in the past?_ Gohan asked, feeling somewhat shocked and overwhelmed.

_**Yeah, something like that,**_ his other self answered, sounding a bit guarded, _**he wanted to help, so…**_

Gohan frowned, shaking his head as he tried to absorb the information.

"This isn't making any sense," he muttered, staring at the wall, "My friend came from three hundred years in the past?"

_**I know it's a lot to take in, but I owed you some answers, remember?**_ He only nodded at the question, still having a hard time processing the information.

_How is that even possible though?_ He wondered, trying to go through everything that could be a possible solution.

There was the idea that they could have used the Dragon Balls to get to the future, but it almost seemed like his other self talked about an "alternate dimension" sometimes.

_**There was this "rift", I guess you could call it, leading to this time and mine. She went first and then I followed,**_ his other self explained, confusing him even more. He wanted to know who this "she" was that everyone besides him seemed to know about, but he knew he wouldn't get an answer now.

He shook his head, cutting off the conversation that might have continued and walked out into the hallway, down towards the living room. The sounds of heavy rain rang out as it hit the roof, making him wonder where time had gone.

Something tackled him to the ground, startling him a bit, but he relaxed when he realized it was just Goten.

"You're face kind of looks funny," Goten declared, a naïve smile on his small face.

Gohan laughed a bit, sitting up from where Goten had tackled him. His little brother probably didn't know that he felt confused, but it made him at least be able to understand something normal for once.

He was about to say something to his little brother, but stopped when there was a knock at the door. He stood up, sensing an unfamiliar Ki coming from outside the door.

_Who is that?_ He wondered as he watched his mother come out from the kitchen. John was also there and got up from the couch, setting aside the book he had been reading.

Gohan stood up and walked over to the door curiously and, as all of them crowded around the open door, did not expect to find what he saw.

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><p>Cliffhanger! Once again, I know I said that I would update sooner, but I got caught up in life and other fanfictions again. Either way, this chapter gives you a bit to think about, as well as a guess at what might happen next. Note: since most of the "spoilers" for this fanfiction has been from those of you who have read "Haunting Past", now I have a semi-spoiler for "Haunting Past" (more explanation will be in a few chapters for HP). Either way, please tell me your thoughts and ideas in a review!<p>

-AnimeWolfGirl9


	27. Another Addition?

Chapter 27: Another Addition?

Gohan's eyes widened when he saw the boy standing in the doorway, soaked to the skin with the freezing rain. The boy looked to be around his age, maybe younger, and had dirty blonde hair and green eyes.

"Hello," the boy said in a frightened voice, "May I please come in? I don't know where to go, and I'm really cold."

"Of course you can," his mother said in a sweet voice, leading the boy inside.

Goten was hiding behind Gohan, and he glanced back to see his brother staring at the boy with wide eyes.

_He doesn't know what to think,_ he realized, feeling sympathy for his brother's confusion.

His gaze wandered back to the boy as he closed the door. He couldn't blame his brother for being confused; yet at the same time he felt curiosity invade him. Who was this boy and how did he get the whole way out to Mount Paozu?

_No one besides us really lives up here,_ he thought, not sure of what to do; _maybe someone else moved around here without us knowing?_

He closed his eyes for a moment, searching the area for any other unfamiliar Kis, or at least any that could be similar to the boy's, but found none. His confusion continued to mount as he stared at the boy.

Apparently standing in one place for a semi-long time wasn't the best thing to do; his mother glanced over at him.

"Gohan, would you be able to go get some clean clothes for him?" Chi-Chi asked, surprising him for a moment that she wasn't yelling at him. He nodded and headed to the spare bedroom they had for guests (or anyone who was visiting, which wasn't very often since they lived so far away).

He glanced around the room for a moment, spying the plastic container that they kept older clothes in (mainly ones that no longer fit him but could be used for Goten when his brother got older). He grabbed a pair of pants and a long-sleeved shirt from the container and pulled them out.

A noise made him turn around, but he relaxed when he saw Goten. Something seemed different about his brother: the confusion was still evident on his face, but he seemed almost… worried.

_That can't be though; he just doesn't know how to react._

"You alright, Goten?" he asked his younger brother, who had now come to stand beside him.

Goten looked up at him with semi-pleading eyes, making it seem like he wanted to tell Gohan something but didn't know how to say it. He sometimes had to remind himself that his brother was only three, since he did seem a bit more mature than others his age (well, in some areas; in others he was just a regular three year old).

Goten finally nodded, answering his question and leaving the room. Gohan shook his head, wondering what could be going through his brother's head.

He carried the clothes out to his mother, handing them to her as she tried to dry the boy off with a towel.

"Thank you, Gohan," his mother was making him slightly confused again. She was being almost like her old self; almost like before…

_But why could that be?_ He asked, taking another glance at the boy who had mysteriously appeared on their doorstep.

_**Motherly instinct?**_ His other self suggested, making it hard to hold a laugh in at the obvious answer he had missed; _**and before you ask, no, I don't know him.**_

This made him smile a bit; apparently he had asked that question way too many times when meeting someone. He spotted Goten again, over near the kitchen. Normally his little brother would be eating, but he was just standing in the open entryway, staring at the boy.

He walked over towards his brother as Chi-Chi started to lead the boy towards the bathroom, presumably to get washed up.

Gohan felt a strange feeling run through him and he turned around, seeing the boy stare at him for a moment before giving him a smile. It wasn't a normal smile though; it seemed more like the boy had found something he was looking for.

What could the boy be looking for though? The most obvious answer came to him: a family, a home, maybe someone who could help him. Or maybe something else…

_**Or maybe you are being paranoid,**_ his other self said as he walked into his bedroom, sitting down on the bed and staring at the floor.

_Maybe, but Goten seems to think something is wrong too,_ he just realized he was too quick to defend himself in the matter.

_**I think Goten might just not like someone new invading his space so suddenly,**_ his other self sounded irked for a moment, but then seemed to brighten; _**either way, today has been amusing for me to watch.**_

Gohan shook his head, finding the comment slightly amusing and angering at the same time.

_**With Videl 'spying' on you and now this, I don't really know what to expect,**_ his other self continued, not really giving him much time to form a response, _**and I had a meeting-**_

_A meeting?_ Gohan felt suddenly confused, _with who?_

_**Well, obviously I talk to you, don't I?**_

Gohan laughed either way at the sudden comment, but felt that his other self wasn't telling him everything.

"Gohan, what's funny?" Goten's voice and sudden appearance startled him slightly. He hadn't even heard his brother enter the room.

"Just a thought," he answered, wondering why his brother was here in the first place. He was complaining, but it seemed sort of weird.

_**Maybe he likes how your room smells,**_ his other self suggested, making him somewhat irritated at the ongoing banter.

_I think that's enough,_ the comment left no other responses in his head, which was slightly relieving.

"Anything wrong, Goten?" he asked gently, not wanting to startle his brother. He kind of wished that his brother knew how to relay emotions through his Ki, but knew he was probably too young to do it intentionally.

Goten was quiet for a moment, but then came to sit beside him on the bed. His little feet swung once he was up and sitting, not being able to reach the floor. The motion seemed strangely familiar to Gohan, but he didn't know personally from where.

"He never said," Goten had a frown on his face and was directing it at the floor. At first, Gohan wanted to ask who 'he' was, but then figured that it was the boy.

"What didn't he say?"

"He never said his name," Goten replied, making some relief run through him that nothing was wrong. He gave a small laugh and looked at his brother.

"You could always go ask him; I'm sure he would like a friend," Goten brightened at his suggestion and nodded, running out of the room a moment later.

Goten had left the door open on his way out. Gohan started to stand up to close it, but stopped when something else did it for him. He glanced around the room, not seeing anything out of the ordinary.

_Definitely paranoid,_ he thought, lying back down on his bed, deciding to try and sleep. After all, he did have school in two days, and figured it would be better to get caught up on sleep.

Voices interrupted his sleep, waking him up a bit. He knew by how dark it was that it was late at night, so confusion filled him as he wondered who could be awake.

A light filtered gently from the bottom of his door. He sat up and pushed the covers off him, listening for the voices again. He heard them, but couldn't make out what they were saying.

He made his way towards the door and peeked it open an inch, just enough to be able to see out it. The light was coming from the living room, and he saw his mother and John talking.

"Where you able to find out where he came from?" his mother was asking, and Gohan guessed they were talking about their newest resident.

"No," John answered, shaking his head, "He just said that he didn't know. Nothing else of the sorts."

Gohan felt like laughing, feeling slightly bad for the boy who had to endure John's questions, but held it in. He would get in trouble if they knew he was listening.

"Did he say anything else?" his mother's voice brought him back to the conversation, and he felt like he had missed something.

"He said his name was Drew, but that was about it," something else was said, but Gohan couldn't hear what it was, and John continued, "maybe he suffered some kind of head trauma and memory loss. Other than that, he seems to be healthy."

"He's staying in the spare bedroom for now, since no one is using it. I figured that-" Gohan backed away from the door, heading back to lie down on his bed.

Now that he searched for it, he did feel the boy's, or rather Drew's, Ki in the spare bedroom beside Goten's room. It didn't feel at rest, but also did feel awake.

He decided that he could sort things out in the morning, or maybe in the next coming days, but worrying about it wouldn't do a thing. It never had helped to think too much on something.

He closed his eyes and as his consciousness drifted away, he heard a voice:

_I know you are there. You won't escape this time, no matter how hard you try. You can't leave._

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><p>Once again, I am really sorry for not updating for a while (and I just realized that anniversary for this fanfiction is in three days). I wanted to get a chapter out, but have had a lot of things getting in my way (one of them being a trip to the hospital). So anyway, now Gohan has to deal with another "addition" to their family: a strange boy named Drew who appears out of nowhere. Who is Drew? Why is Goten acting different? What was that voice that Gohan heard? More answers will be coming in the chapters ahead. Please tell me what you thought in a review!<p>

-AnimeWolfGirl9


	28. All Wrong

**Guest:** Well, that definitely was a bit unexpected. Sorry I couldn't fit her in right then, but she is in later chapters (although if you have read up to this point then I am sure you already know that).

**AnimeWolfGirl16:** Haha, I was wondering if anyone was going to catch that! :)

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><p>Chapter 28: All Wrong<p>

Gohan knew that he should have went home directly after school, but today he didn't feel like going back to the crowded house. His stomach felt like it was in a knot and the strange feeling kept coming back like it had for the past few weeks. Something _had_ to be wrong and then again, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

_Well, maybe except Drew coming to stay with us,_ he thought, biting his lip a bit. He didn't know how to explain the strange feeling that came over him whenever the other boy was near, but it wasn't pleasant.

There seemed to be nothing threatening about the boy, but strange events seemed to be happening lately. He frowned at the thought, wondering if he should go check on Goten. His little brother hadn't been acting the same for a while now, and it was bothering him. It was almost like no one else had noticed except him.

John and his mother seemed oblivious to the way his younger brother was acting, but it seemed almost as if Goten was trying to hide it. Like he was trying to only let Gohan know that something was wrong…

"But what?" he mumbled, walking over to sit on a stump that had once been a full grown tree. Split ends of the bark that had been torn away still existed, so he made care to avoid those sections as best as he could.

He thought over the past few weeks, his mind finding numerous points in time that things had seemed different, and one sprang to mind.

_Gohan hadn't expected to see his brother sitting on his bed when he came home from school. The expression on Goten's face and the jumpy way he was acting didn't make the situation any better._

_ "Everything alright, Goten?" he asked his little brother while he put his backpack in the chair by his desk. He had some homework to do, but he figured it could wait, especially if his little brother had something important to tell him._

_ Goten's hands were gripping Gohan's bed cover in a death grip, but he hadn't said anything. His little body shuffled a bit, betraying his feelings of uneasy._

_ Gohan walked over to his little brother and sat down on the bed, feeling concerned. Immense fear radiated from his brother's Ki._

_ "It's alright Goten; you can tell me what's wrong," he whispered, trying to comfort his brother. He couldn't think of anything that had spooked Goten before; the younger Saiyan was normally carefree and a lot braver than he had been at his age, but this wasn't the case._

_ "Can't get me here," Goten whispered, bringing the bed cover up to his face, almost like he was hiding behind it._

_ "Who can't get you?" he asked, wondering what his brother meant. No one was allowed in Gohan's room most of the time (well, maybe except his mother when she cleaned it, to which he had no choice but to oblige)._

_ Goten didn't answer his question though, prompting him to sigh. He flopped backwards onto the bed, watching as Goten's gaze followed his movement. He wasn't sure what to do; if his little brother wouldn't tell him what was bothering him, then he couldn't help._

_ "What can I do to help?" he asked, knowing that they were free to talk since he had closed the door to his bedroom when he came in. _

_He quickly searched for any Kis near them, but didn't find any. That meant that John was at work, and his mother was probably somewhere else. Drew was now homeschooling, so he had no idea where the other boy could have gone._

It doesn't matter,_ he thought, brushing off the strange feeling that came over him once again and resisting the urge to shudder. Something about the other boy's Ki just seemed so familiar…_

"_It hurts," Goten whispered, saying it so softly that Gohan hadn't almost heard him. The look in his brother's eyes was killing him._

"_What hurts?" he asked, sitting up on the bed. He noticed that Goten winced when he did so._

_Goten pointed at his side, prompting Gohan to reach for the other boy's shirt to lift it, but Goten pulled away. This lasted for several times before Gohan knew he had to address the issue (he didn't want to be forceful in getting his brother to stay still; if something did hurt, then he didn't want to make it worse)._

"_Goten, you need to stay still," he stated, continuing at his brother's pouting face, "how am I supposed to help if I can't figure out what's hurting?"_

_Goten paused at his words and then nodded, letting Gohan pull up the side of his shirt. What Gohan saw there made his breath leave him._

"_Goten, how did you get this?" he asked, gently running his fingers over the black and blue marks near his brother's ribs. It didn't seem too serious, but it was still cause for concern._

Goten isn't clumsy;_ the thought made him almost nauseous, making him hope to Dende that whatever had happened to his brother wasn't what he thought it was._

"_Can't tell," Goten mumbled, burying his head in Gohan's shirt. Gohan glanced down at his younger brother, feeling his concern grow._

"_Why?" he asked, glancing at the door and checking for any nearby Kis again. This had obviously been something that Goten was trying to keep a secret, but for what reason?_

"_Can't tell. Promised," his younger brother's mumble made him slightly angry. Someone had done this to him, and he wouldn't tell? It didn't make any sense. Goten wasn't one to break promises, but if it meant his little brother was in danger…_

"_Goten, tell me who did this to you," he had to make sure that his voice didn't have too much anger in it, but he had to let his brother know that he meant business. Goten shook his head and buried it deep into Gohan's shirt, making him sigh again. The answer wasn't going to come out anytime soon._

Gohan let out a calming breath as the memory faded. It still made him angry to think about, considering that his brother hadn't told him who had hurt him in the first place. The occurrences when Goten had come into his room had been less lately, but he still found himself trying to make sure that his brother was alright.

_I guess that's just normal for me; I don't like it when someone gets hurt,_ he thought, getting off the stump and starting to walk in the direction of his home.

Another thing had been bothering him lately, one that did not involve his younger brother: his other self had been strangely silent the past few weeks. Ever since the night Drew had come to stay with him, Gohan hadn't had any strange 'meetings' with his other self. He didn't hear any voices in his head either.

_Last time this happened, it didn't lead to anything good;_ he sighed, knowing that some people just needed some time to themselves.

He had thought about going straight to his bedroom when he got home, but something stopped his as soon as he entered through the doorway: he couldn't sense Goten's Ki. Drew's wasn't in the house either, and John was probably just leaving work. His mother was in the kitchen preparing dinner.

"Gohan, would you be able to go find Drew and Goten?" Chi-Chi called from the kitchen with concern in her voice, "they went for a walk earlier and haven't come back yet."

Gohan glanced outside and saw that the sun was starting to set early. He did vaguely remember Drew saying something about a walk earlier before he had left for school.

"Sure, I'll go find them," he called back, walking outside again. He searched for their Kis but couldn't find anything, making concern start to fill him.

_Goten, where are you?_

* * *

><p>I know I haven't updated in a long while, but I have been really busy. I just wanted to give you guys a new chapter and to let you know that this fanfiction is still continuing. I'm really sorry about taking so long, but I have been doing a bit of research for the next chapter or so (plus working on other fanfictions). Thank you for being so patient and please tell me what you thought in a review!<p>

-AnimeWolfGirl9


	29. From The Distant Past

**XXXTITANIA SCARLETXXX:** Here are some answers! Also, sorry for the wait!

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><p>Chapter 29: From the Distant Past<p>

Goten never wanted to go for a walk with Drew. The older boy scared him in more ways than one; despite this, his mother had urged him to go along with the other boy.

_"Could Goten and I go for a quick walk?" Drew asked earlier that day while Chi-Chi was preparing dinner. Gohan wasn't home since he was at school, so for the past few hours Goten had been entertaining himself with some of the toys Trunks had given him._

_ "Sure I don't see why not," his mother answered, giving both of them a glance without stopping what she was doing, "it is such a nice day out, after all."_

_ Goten felt the butterflies flittering around in his stomach again as the older boy started to walk towards him. He wished Gohan was home, then things would be better._

_ "I-" Goten started to say, giving his mother a glance while trying to find some why out of the trouble that was sure to follow. Drew's eyes narrowed slightly at the hesitation in his voice, making him stop his sentence._

_ "What is it, Goten?" his mother asked, worry starting to inch its way into her voice. She stopped stirring the pot of soup on the stove and looked at him, waiting patiently for an answer._

_ "I'll go change," Goten decided quickly as he ran into his room, locking the door behind him. He knew he would have to go on the walk, but he would rather wait in his room until Gohan came home._

_ His stalling didn't last long, Drew made sure of that, and soon they were out the door._

Goten winced at the tugging on his arm and looked up to see the cause of his pain: Drew. The older boy was pulling him through the forest that surrounded their home, but the younger boy had no idea where they were going.

They had left the house a few hours ago, or at least that was what it felt like. Goten's stomach rumbled a bit, causing the older boy to look down at him.

"Can we go home now?" Goten asked, trying to make sure he didn't anger the older boy. Drew was scary when he was angry.

"No," the older boy replied harshly, looking around them for a moment before continuing to tug Goten in another direction. Drew's face suddenly lit up with a smile, but one that Goten didn't like, "we're going to play a game."

"What sort of game?" the younger boy asked, his curiosity peeking through the fear he felt. If it was a fun game, then that would make the time worthwhile.

"Sort of like hide and seek," Drew answered, glancing down at him, "let's see how long it takes for big brother to find us."

* * *

><p>"Goten!" Gohan called for his little brother as he walked through the forest. So far, his brother had yet to appear, and he still couldn't sense either Drew nor Goten's Kis.<p>

_Where are you?_ He silently pleaded, wishing that he could find them already. The sun was setting early and the chances of finding his little brother dwindled with the daylight;_ especially when I can't sense his Ki._

Gohan stopped walked for a moment, taking time to catch his breath. The whole day had felt highly unusual, and he knew this was the worst time if he was coming down with something.

"Just one of the disadvantages of going to one of the most highly populated schools," he muttered, feeling slightly irritated. He couldn't afford to get sick, not when Goten could be in trouble.

He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts as he searched for any Kis within range again. It seemed futile, but he didn't want to take any chances of missing anything.

He felt something faint coming from the furthest reaches of the forest, near the edge where a high precipice dropped to the river below. Goten would be in danger there, considering the high drop and the fact that his brother didn't know how to concentrate his Ki to fly yet.

_Another thing to add to my ever-growing checklist,_ he thought as he ran off towards the Ki. Flying would attract too much attention, and if someone was going to hurt Goten, then that would alert whoever had him; _and Drew. Whoever has him and my little brother._

The Ki suddenly disappeared, leaving no trace of whether it was still in the area. He frowned, understanding some of the pieces of the puzzle.

"If you want to play that way, then I can too," he whispered, concealing his Ki so that whoever was sensing him wouldn't know where he was. As far as Gohan knew, his little brother didn't know how to sense Ki either, so he wondered why he had left his Ki unconcealed in the first place.

_I keep making too many mistakes, and sooner or later someone is going to end up hurt because of me._

The Ki signal kept flaring on and off for a while, almost leading him in a trail. He hoped not; that would seem like the most likely sign of a trap. _But if Goten is there…_

Gohan eventually came to the precipice and was relieved to find that his little brother was there. Drew was standing at the edge of the cliff with his hand holding Goten's wrist. Something didn't feel right again, but he decided that he could sort it out later.

"Goten, you shouldn't have wandered so far out here," Gohan looked at his brother, trying to ignore the other boy standing a few inches away, "we were all really worried."

"Sorry," Goten apologized in a near whisper, looking towards the ground. Gohan didn't want to be harsh with his brother, but the sudden disappearance from the house had gotten him nervous.

"We were just going for a walk," Drew's statement made him let out a sigh; he had already been told that and the information wasn't helping.

"Let's just get back to the house," he turned to leave and saw Goten start to take a step forward, but Drew's hold on his brother's wrist tightened, not letting the younger boy move. Gohan noticed this and stopped, feeling something start to wash over him.

_Something is different, even more so than when he first came to the house,_ he thought, staring at the blonde haired boy with some suspicion.

"Aren't you coming?" Gohan asked, waiting for the other boy's grip on Goten's wrist to slacken. It only grew tighter, however, as a smile appeared on the boy's face.

"I think you do deserve a reward; after all, you won the game," Drew's words made him confused. What game?

"You wouldn't harm your little brother now, would you?"

"What do you-?" he started to ask, but Drew cut him off as the boy took a step backwards, bringing Goten closer to the precipice's edge. His younger brother's feet were up against the edge and wobbling a bit, making him freeze.

"Do you want me to let go of him? Would you like to see him plummet into the river? I don't think he can swim," as Drew said this, he loosed his grip on Goten's wrist a bit, causing the younger boy to whimper a bit as his feet teetered closer to falling off the edge.

"What do you want?" Gohan asked, staying where he was. He could tell Drew wasn't joking around, and one wrong move could send Goten over the edge of the cliff.

"I would think that you would already know," Drew's smile became wider, his words trying to jog something in Gohan's memory, "think back to all those years ago, if you can remember. Then again, humans aren't very reliable."

At this, Drew suddenly jerked Goten's wrist forward, sending the younger boy crashing towards Gohan. He ran forward and caught his brother just before he hit the ground. Goten was shaking against him, obviously trying to recover from such a scare.

"Are you alright?" Gohan whispered, standing up and bringing his brother with him. Goten nodded, and he knew what he had to do in order to keep Goten out of trouble; "Goten, I need you to run home. Get on the phone and call Kame house. If they don't answer, call Bulma."

Goten ran off as soon as he finished speaking, leading to one of the rare moments when his brother didn't ask why. Gohan turned to face Drew, feeling the other boy's Ki start to flare.

_Why should I know what he wants? What does he mean?_ He wondered, knowing that the answer might not come easily. Drew had mentioned for him to remember what had happened years ago, but how long ago did he mean?

Little sparks ran through Drew's now white, visible Ki. As much as Gohan hated it, he knew that this wouldn't end with a conversation.

"You're going to pay for what you have done," Drew rushed towards him, confirming Gohan's fears.

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><p>Sorry this chapter was a bit later than I expected it to be. Either way, I hope this might have got your thoughts churning. Please tell me what you thought in a review!<p>

-AnimeWolfGirl9


	30. Dealing With This

Chapter 30: Dealing With This

A steady stream of Ki blasts exploded where Gohan had just been, narrowly escaping the pain that would have followed. He took a small amount of time to catch his breath, always on alert for what his enemy would do next. Gohan had no clue of how long they had been fighting, but he knew that he was on the losing end of it.

_One of the disadvantages of being sick,_ he thought, jumping to the side again to avoid a stronger blast of energy directed towards him. Some part of him was wondering if the sickness had taken a greater toll on him than he had thought. _Or even if I am sick at all._

"You always seem to run away," Drew taunted, his eyes staring curiously at Gohan for a moment. The other boy's Ki had risen during the battle, making him wonder when it would end. Gohan's hair had long since turned a light yellow when he hit the next form, but it didn't seem to give him any advantage.

_What about the one beyond that?_ He wondered, cringing slightly at the unwanted memories that distracted him. The distraction was long enough; Drew came charging forward and knocking into him, sending him through a dying tree.

"You were always so hesitant to use what has been gifted to you," Gohan could barely hear the other boy's words through his pained coughs, "Maybe I should have kept the younger one around, then you would have had at least some form of provocation."

Gohan froze at the words, his eyes narrowed a bit. Sure, he didn't like to fight, that much was true, but he would if it came down to protecting those that mattered. He didn't answer back, as much as he wanted to, because he knew it was always an enemy tactic to force some sort of distraction.

"It's a wonder how you could have beaten _him_," Drew's words caused confusion again, but also a bit of annoyance.

"Enough with the third-person pronouns already," he muttered, casting his gaze towards the other boy, who was floating nearby with an amused look. It didn't seem as though he were attacking right now. _It's either 'he' or 'she,' and half the time I have no clue who anyone is talking about._

"Who are you talking about?" Gohan asked, getting up and starting to walk towards the other boy. Drew continued to float in the same position, seemingly content in torturing him in a way other than fighting.

"It's not a surprise that you don't remember; you were so small then that I hardly recognized you. The only thing that tipped me off was your Ki," Gohan sighed in irritation at the boy's statement. _Not getting any closer,_ he thought, but then ran over the words again, realizing that there was a difference; _he's implying that I was younger. Who did I fight then? Raditz came when I was four, but I didn't necessarily 'beat' him, so that leaves…_

His eyes widened at the realization. "The Makyo Star with Garlic Junior?" Drew laughed at bit at his answer, "why would you be mad about that?"

"Because…" Drew paused, a look of spite on his face, "he was my mentor and father."  
><em>You have got to be kidding me,<em> Gohan felt like smacking himself; it felt like déjà vu all over again… _I don't even want to know how, but this is getting seriously annoying. First I have to deal with Cell's 'children,' one of whom was my friend, and now this?_

"This seems to be a horrible pattern," Drew suddenly disappeared from his gaze, making him alert again as the boy's – uh 'alien's' – Ki disappeared. Mocking laughter came from all sides, not giving him any advantages. He decided to try a different tactic: keep the boy talking.

"I didn't think Garlic Junior could take on the appearance of a human though. Does that mean you're different?" the prospect wasn't unheard of, considering Frieza had used the Saiyans.

"No, he was my biological father," Gohan made a face at the words, "but I have a special… how would you put it? Skill, I suppose. I just had to find a host young enough."

The words sunk in, allowing the answer to come through: this… being had taken over the boy before he even had a chance of living. Anger spiked through him, causing sparks to bolt through the surrounding air.

"How could you do such a horrible thing!?" he shouted, finally locating where the voice was coming from. He shot through the air behind him, knocking into the former boy. He didn't expect to receive a legitimate answer, considering all bad guys never had one.

Gohan could tell that exhaustion was starting to wear him down; he floated to the ground as he felt his energy running out again. _What is wrong with me?_ A question popped into his mind, and he figured he might as well try. "Did you, by any chance, get me sick?"

Drew's angered expression turned to one of slight confusion, making Gohan almost want to laugh. _I guess he didn't then. That's a relief. No idea what an alien virus could do at a time like this._

"This seems to have gone on long enough. I'm done playing with you," Drew's statement made the humor leave the situation. He realized then just how much of a disadvantage he had. _Especially since I asked him if he got me sick; it doesn't take a genius to figure that out._ He gasped as he felt something wrap around his legs. He glanced down and saw some sort of cord infused with Ki. _Where did that come from?_

Gohan tried any maneuver he could think of to get free, but quickly realized that it wasn't to his benefit. _No matter what I do, it just saps my strength._ The situation reminded him of his fight with Bojack, but this time he was pretty sure Hercule wouldn't come crashing into the scene.

A red Ki orb filled Drew's hand, causing Gohan to realize he was in serious trouble as the Ki spiked. Drew's head tilted to the side a bit as the Ki dissipated a small amount, curiosity in his eyes. "You seem… different. Something is off about you."

"I'm pretty sure I'm sick," he answered, trying to stall time, but he could see that the boy didn't really believe him. If it wasn't that he was sick, then what else could it be?

_**Does he know about the Lotus?**_ His other self took the most opportune time to chime in, causing irritation to spread through him again.

_How in the world would I know that? Like Drew said, I was pretty young when this whole incident started._

"I guess it doesn't matter, I should still just kill you," Drew seemed almost like he was contemplating on finishing a game or not. A strange sensation filled him and made him squeeze his eyes shut. His whole senses seemed to be focused on the pain, not allowing them to work properly. He felt himself fall to the ground a bit, making him wonder what the Ki cord was actually doing._ Is he planning on defeating me this way?_

Gohan felt like he was going to pass out. He seriously wished he would have taught Goten how to fly; maybe then his brother would have been able to get back to the house quicker. A thought hit him: what if Goten didn't know how to get back to the house? What if his little brother was wandering around the forest at night alone? _Then that's another thing that I'll need to deal with after this._

The pain in his side exploded and he was pretty sure that he had passed out for a few moments. He felt disoriented as he came to, seeing that Drew was nowhere to be found. The Ki cord that had been keeping him in place was gone, but he still didn't feel much better; if anything, he felt worse.

_Where could he have gone?_ Gohan wondered as he shakily stood up, wandering closer to the edge of the cliff. He glanced down it, not seeing anything but not sensing the other boy's Ki either. _Could he have fallen down there?_

Drew had seemed to have a lot of Ki, but everyone had their limits. It wasn't like you could expend more Ki than you had; that would just leave you in a very unwelcome situation. Drew must have run out of Ki and fled or… something. _Even though it seemed like his Ki was endless, what could have made it run out so quickly?_

Trails of something dark green where Drew had been made him turn to look, but he realized his error too soon. His foot slipped on the edge of the crevice, causing him to fall backwards. Just when he had been lecturing Drew on using too much Ki, he had done the same error. Soon, he found himself falling through the air and to the ground below.

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><p>Wow… um… hi everyone? I'm not dead, I just… how do I even explain this? I had this chapter partially written and then when I looked down at the date, I realized it has been three months since I updated. Uh… so I seriously didn't mean to let that happen; time just slipped by way too fast. Sorry if this really wasn't the conclusion you were looking for but, like I said earlier, I stink at fight scenes and this wasn't necessarily meant to be one. I'm going to try and get the next chapter out as soon as possible, but I am really focusing on my other DBZ fanfiction right now, so maybe expect a delay? Sorry about that, but I would like to hear your thoughts in a review!<p>

-AnimeWolfGirl9


	31. Buried

Chapter 31: Buried

When Gohan woke again, he didn't expect to be alone in his room. What he had expected was the pain that spread its way through every part of his body; that didn't surprise him. Questions still swam through his mind, causing inner turmoil to surface. What exactly had happened with Drew? Where had he gone? Had he escaped or was he…? Gohan didn't want to finish the last one, finding that the truth might be too hard to bear. _Despite the fact that he was an enemy, no one deserves that. Even your enemy can become your friend._

Gohan had been thinking so intensely that he didn't realize that someone else was in the room with him. Said other person jumped onto the bed, startling him for a moment, until he realized who it was.

"Goten," relief ran through him when he saw his younger brother, "are you alright?"

Goten nodded his head with a childish smile. "I'm all fine," his brother's expression turned a bit sad, "I didn't like that game though."

"What game?" Confusion ran through him, making him wonder if Trunks had brought over some sort of complicated board game that Goten couldn't understand. Goten's answer made him realize it wasn't anything close to that though.

"Drew said we would play a game to see how long it took for you to find us. I didn't like it. He was scary."

"I don't think you'll need to worry about him anymore, alright?" Goten smiled again at his words and ran out of the room to who-knows-where. Gohan sighed, knowing that what he had told his brother could be both true or not. Either way, he felt the weight of the words as he thought over them again.

_It seems like everything from the past is coming back,_ he mused, turning to look out the window. It was still dark out, giving him no clue of how much time had passed.

_**You have no idea how much you are right,**_ Gohan smiled a bit at his other self's sigh, too tired to really take it seriously at the moment.

_First there's my friend who turns out to be a Cell Junior and now this? What else could go wrong?_ As soon as the thought entered his mind, he paled._ Never mind, a whole lot could be worse._

_**At least there shouldn't be anyone else coming after you for a while; **_Gohan sat up when his mind registered his other self's words. What was that supposed to mean?

_How do you know that?_ He asked, knowing that one of the possibilities was out of the question. Time now was different than his other self's, considering he had been informed that everything was the same up until the Cell Games.

_**I… let's just say that there is a certain predicament I'm hoping to avoid.**_

Before he could ask any more questions, five people entered his room: Krillin, Tien, Chiaotzu, Yamcha, and Future Trunks. Normally, he would have felt on edge, but the sight just made him smile. _Maybe I hit my head or something. I'm getting a really strong sense of nostalgia…_

"Hey Gohan, how are you feeling?" Krillin was the first of the group to break the silence. Gohan felt sort of bad about not being around them all of a sudden. _Almost like they'll disappear…_

"A bit better. Everything's a little foggy though," his answer wasn't all truthful; he probably remembered most of what had happened. _Just not what happened near the end._

"What do you remember then?" Tien's question was laced once again with a certain amount of unease that Gohan felt through their Kis.

"I remember going to find Goten, and Drew… wasn't all that he had first appeared to be," Gohan laughed, finding that he felt a bit nervous too. His mother had informed the other Z fighters about the lost boy in case they could have found any information on his parents' whereabouts. _And now I know why they couldn't._

"'Wasn't what he appeared to be'? What's that supposed to mean?" Yamcha's inquiry made it hard to explain. They had faced a lot of aliens in the past twelve years, but this… the memory of what Drew had done made him sick.

"Drew was similar to Garlic Junior," Gohan decided to leave the relations out; the thought made him shudder and he was pretty sure he couldn't get through explaining it without there being consequences later, "he wanted revenge for the Makyo Star incident, but… it was like it wasn't him. He… took over someone and used them instead." He faltered a few times, still feeling unsure about the whole incident. That was what Drew had explained, so why did it seem so strange?

_My whole life is like that, so why is this any different?_ He wondered, his gaze traveling to the floor for a few moments. He looked back up at his friends.

"What exactly happened after I passed out? All I remember is that Drew wasn't going to solve things quietly."

The rest of the Z fighters understood the implication of a fight, even if it had been partial. They had probably seen some of the damage when they had arrived.

"You seem to be passing out a lot, kid!" Yamcha gave him a smile, teasing a bit. Gohan laughed, feeling as though things had gone back to normal. Except…

A strange, dulling feeling entered him, causing any uplifting emotions he had been feeling to dissipate. Trunks seemed to sense the change in mood and said something quickly, which Gohan for some reason didn't catch. Everyone else left, causing confusion to enter him. Something didn't seem right.

"I don't get it…" the words left his mouth without any register, almost as if he hadn't said it at all. Future Trunks turned to look at him with some confusion. For some reason, Gohan didn't say anything else. He felt like, for some strange reason, that he didn't have to.

The Saiyan from the future came to sit beside him on the bed. Gohan felt as though his thought process was muddled more than usual. _I guess that battle must have done more to me than I thought…_

"So… what exactly do you want to know?" Future Trunks seemed unsure of how to continue the conversation. The demi-Saiyan wasn't even sure if he had been there or not.

"Drew… something he said doesn't quite sit well with me," Gohan frowned, thinking back to all of the cryptic messages that had been said… however long ago the battle had been.

"What was it exactly?" he knew that the other Saiyan was trying to help as much as he could, considering this most likely hadn't happened in the future where he had come from.

"He said something about me being different…" _And a whole other ton of weird stuff…_ "But I don't know what he was referring to. Obviously I'm older since the Makyo Star incident happened a long time ago, but… I can't think of anything else and it's starting to bother me."

"Would he have known you back then?" Gohan gave Trunks a confused glance, causing the other Saiyan to continue, "well, is it possible that he could have just been Garlic Junior, but in another form?"

"Is that even possible?" he mumbled, but then shook his head. "I don't think so. He said something about being related to Garlic Junior, but I don't think it would go as far as that."

Future Trunks shrugged, partially smiling. "It was a guess. I'm not sure what else he could have been referring to though. If he didn't know you then, he could have been observing you. Maybe he was meaning your ascended form?"

"He seemed to know about that too," the more Gohan thought about it, the more concerned he became; "He actually seemed to know a lot of things he shouldn't."

They sat in silence for a few moments, neither of them being able to think of an answer. The next thing that happened was probably what Gohan should have expected, but didn't.

_**So… did you rule out the factor that he could have known?**_ Trunks jolted a bit in surprise, signaling that he had heard the voice too. Gohan gave an apologetic smile, wishing that he would have had a bit of a warning beforehand.

"I forgot about the voice in your head," the way Trunks said it made it seem like a bad thing, but he decided to ignore that for the moment.

_What factor?_ He asked, forgetting that it wasn't just himself and his other self in the room.

_**That Drew could have known about the Lotus. You wouldn't really want to outright ask him, but it did seem like he was a bit… odd. And Trunks kind of stinks, so I think he needs to go shower.**_ The last comment was followed by a brief bout of laughter from his other self.

"What? That's just rude," he mumbled, looking over at the mentioned Saiyan and seeing confusion on his face. _He must have not heard that, or any mention of the Lotus… then again, I did ask him about it and passed him out…_

Gohan suddenly realized a lot of pieces were missing from this puzzle. Nothing was adding up.

"Uh, sorry. We… I mean _I_ can't think of anything," he racked his brain for another subject; "so, what exactly happened with Drew? Is he still…?"

"We found him at the bottom of the crevice, but we're not sure how he got there…" Trunks seemed hesitant to continue, "It didn't seem like you injured him much, so we weren't really sure what happened."

"That rules out one answer," he sighed, trying to recount what he remembered, "he actually almost won, but for some reason his Ki just ran out all of a sudden. I'm not sure what caused it."

"Well, I guess that's something we'll have to look into," after saying this, Trunks stood up and walked to the door, "I'll let you rest for now."

"Thanks," he smiled as Trunks shut the door behind him, feeling slightly more at ease. Despite the fact that a lot of questions were going unanswered, he felt like he could actually rest for now.

It wasn't long after he had tried to fall back asleep that he realized the strange feeling he had felt during the battle was gone.

* * *

><p>So, yeah, this chapter took me a while, huh? Sorry about that. I started writing it, and then I got writer's block, and then my computer got a virus so… please don't flame me? I started looking over this fanfiction again and realized that a lot of the other Z fighters haven't really been in it since the Cell Games, so I want to try and bring them back in it more. Any ideas? The next few chapters might be filler for a bit, but they are important. Anyway, please review and if there is anything you would like to see in this fanfiction, please let me know and I will (hopefully) try to incorporate it!<p>

-AnimeWolfGirl9


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